The Faculty of Humanities at the University of Johannesburg marked International Women’s Day with an engaging student-focused event on Tuesday, 11 March 2026, under the theme “Owning Your Journey: Resilience, Purpose, and Courage.”
Convened by the Humanities Office of the Vice-Dean: Internationalisation, the event brought together female Humanities students for a reflective and empowering dialogue on leadership, resilience and self-determination. International Women’s Day is observed annually around the world to celebrate the achievements of women while also recognising the social, economic and political challenges that women continue to face.
At UJ, commemorations of this nature serve not only to acknowledge women’s contributions but also to create spaces for meaningful conversation, inspiration and intellectual exchange within the university community.
The programme featured a keynote address by Kamika Lyntte Bell, an American entrepreneur, scholar and humanitarian known for her work in youth empowerment and leadership development. Through her organisation, Catalyst for Change Inc., she leads initiatives such as Girls with Pearls and the Young Male Scholar Program, both aimed at empowering young people through mentorship and leadership development.
Dr Bell holds a doctoral degree in psychology from Liberty University. Her doctoral research, titled Superintendent Stress and Mental Health: The Case of African American Female Superintendents in the United States, explores the pressures and mental health challenges faced by women in senior leadership positions.
In her address, Dr Bell reflected on the complexities of women’s leadership journeys, including the impact of unaddressed trauma, the importance of ethical leadership in the digital age, and the need to cultivate supportive spaces of “sisterhood”. Her talk transformed the global commemoration into a more intimate space for reflection, encouraging students to share their own experiences of resilience and personal growth.
A key message that emerged from the discussion was the importance of embracing individuality. “It’s okay to be different,” Dr Bell emphasised — a sentiment that resonated strongly with students navigating the pressures and expectations often placed on young women in higher education.
During the audience engagement session, Ofentse Moleki, a UJ Master’s student in English and founder of the Virginal Care Initiative, encouraged her peers to pursue their ambitions boldly. She noted that when spaces for women’s aspirations do not exist, young women must be prepared to create them.
Ronnah Mawoko, a PhD candidate in Sociology, reflected that the session deepened her understanding of leadership in the face of adversity. She highlighted that the unique challenges experienced by Black women should inspire courage and perseverance rather than limitation.
Programme director Dr Sinethemba Sidloyi commended the thoughtful engagement displayed by the students, noting that the level of reflexivity demonstrated during the discussion was particularly encouraging.
The event concluded with a call from Dr Bell for young women to become values-driven leaders who uplift others as they pursue their own paths to success — reinforcing the central message of the day: that resilience, courage and purpose remain essential in shaping meaningful leadership journeys.
