“The future of women can only be decided by the women themselves and nobody else,” said the executive mayor for the Vhembe District Municipality, Cllr Irene Mutsila. She delivered a keynote address during the Tusk Venda Ladies Motivational Tea Party that was held at the Tusk Venda Casino Hotel’s pool deck on Wednesday morning.

Mutsila revealed that the government is committed to giving financial assistance to women who wish to develop themselves. She further indicated that women are being regarded as a threat to men because of people who misinterpret the Constitution. She discouraged the tendency of some women who encourage their daughters to bear as many children as possible, so that they can become the beneficiaries of the child support grant. She encouraged women to involve themselves in the tourism industry, saying there will be a very definite demand for the “bed and breakfast” business during the 2010 World Cup, as the Thohoyandou Stadium will be one of the training venues.

Mrs Humbelani Netshandama from the University of Venda said that women have the responsibility to shape up the future of their children. She appealed to women not to spend much of their time watching TV movies; instead, she encouraged them to dedicate much of their time in self-development activities. The marketing manager for the Premier Soccer League, Ms Muditambi Ravele, said that although women are participating in some forms of sport or recreation, ranging from traditional dancing to organized sports and professional competitions, they are still under-represented in all areas at all levels.

A well-known businesswoman in Thohoyandou, Mrs Salome Ngwana, said that women become more vulnerable to sexual abuse because of the fact that they are not financially independent. “If you are financially independent, it is unlikely that you will fall into the temptation of accepting a job offer in exchange for sex,” she said.