A month of celebrating women

Key Takeaways:

• Women’s Month Celebration: It’s about honoring the power, dignity, and joy of being a woman and having women in our lives.
• Best Advice for Women: Prioritize self-growth, embrace emotions, stay financially wise, and always wear confidence.
• Lessons for Daughters: Work hard, write your own story, uphold high standards, stay teachable, and be true to yourself.
• Raising Respectful Sons: Lead by example—teach boys to treat women with care, respect, and kindness through daily actions.
• Empowering Women: Advocate for safety, equality, education, and self-worth beyond societal standards.

Women’s Month is about celebrating the power and dignity of women, but also the fun of being a woman, and the joy of having women in your life. We asked the Atterbury team to share their thoughts on the fairer sex…

Your family wakes you up on Women’s Day with the best gift ever. What is it?
Corlia Fouché, leasing coordinator: A letter from my daughter expressing her appreciation for her mother.
Liezl Nieuwoudt, treasury manager: Mmm… a 24-hour Caribbean party for all the wonderful women that I know, with no masks, live music, entertainment, crazy dancing and champagne… to celebrate us!
Cornelia de Kock, company secretary: As a mother of two busy toddlers, I would be ever so grateful if they would let me sleep in…
Lindy Ras, developments quantity surveyor: All the lunchboxes and dinners are made and packed for the week and I can stay in bed for the day with a good book.
Ronél Müller, HR manager: A family vacation in the Kruger National Park.
Melissa Love, office manager: Homemade cards from my girls.

What is the best girly advice you ever got from a best friend?
Corlia Fouché: It is not your job to fix anyone except yourself.
Liezl Nieuwoudt: Whatever you feel, feel it deeply!
Cornelia de Kock: I was fortunate enough that my late Ouma Bets was my best friend, and her advice was always: “Die liefde oorleef alles.”
Lindy Ras: Never have debt. Reduce your liabilities as fast as possible even if it hurts or means that you have to drive in a smaller car or cannot buy all the clothes you want on account.
Ronél Müller: A smile is the best make-up any girl can wear.
Melissa Love: Colour coordination, and always trim the brows.

What would you say is the most important lesson you want to teach your daughter/s?
Corlia Fouché: It doesn’t matter how smart you are or how much talent you have. What will get you ahead in life is hard work.
Liezl Nieuwoudt: When writing the story of your life, never let anyone else hold the pen.
Cornelia de Kock: In the words of Coco Chanel: “Keep your head, heels and standards high.”
Lindy Ras: To have a teachable spirit. Accept correction from someone who means it with love; do not feel offended by anything and everything that people say.
Melissa Love: To be themselves and to be content with who they are, I would want them to know that they were created in God’s image and the world can’t take that away from them. Also, to be loving and forgiving as the world is not always your friend; they will also need forgiveness and kindness during their lifetime.

What advice would you give to parents of sons about teaching boys to value, respect and protect girls and women?
Corlia Fouché: Boys themselves should feel empowered. Boys who have a good sense of self are less likely to seek fulfilment in unhealthy ways.
Gerrit van den Berg, head of development, Cape Town: I would firstly say good luck to the parents of young boys! It is much easier to prepare boys to respect women if they have a sister to practice on. My boys know that I am harsher on them if they mistreat or hurt their sister. Expose them to girls from a young age and let them play together. The best advice is to treat your wife and other women with respect. They watch our behaviour daily and duplicate – it’s monkey see, monkey do with kids!
Liezl Nieuwoudt: Parents (and especially dads) should exceed in their daily actions. This is the way to show boys to always love, understand, support, treasure, adore and value all women.
Cornelia de Kock: Teach them to handle with care.
Lindy Ras: If parents teach their sons to follow God’s way, they will be mighty men with gentleness towards women, because that is how God created men.
Ronél Müller: I believe the best way to teach your children anything in life is by example. If we show respect, we will teach respect.
Melissa Love: Think of a girl as a rose, if you are too rough with them, their petals will fall off, and if you don’t respect them the thorns will surely prick you.
Johan Roets, leasing manager: Teach a boy to be a gentleman. I would love to see my son grow up to always treat girls and women with respect – opening the door for his mom, carrying the parcels… doing the small things that show care and consideration.

As a man, what is the one thing you wish you understood better about women?
Gerrit van den Berg: Why do they like men…? And why are they always right?
Cornelia de Kock: The first thing my husband, Danelo, said was: “Everything!”
Johan Roets: It is optimistic to think that if you knew one thing it would help you, because we’d all agree that women are more complex than men – at least that’s my observation! What I do think is that if you love your wife and give her your full attention when you’re with her, half the battle is won!

If you could change anything for a particular woman or group of women anywhere, what would it be?
Corlia Fouché: Teach them to live a faithful life always!
Liezl Nieuwoudt: I wish that all women could be protected from physical and emotional abuse every second, minute and day.
Gerrit van den Berg: Better protection against abusive men. Equal treatment in business and sports.
Cornelia de Kock: In my perfect world, each and every woman will have access to and enjoy the benefits of quality education.
Lindy Ras: To find their worth in Jesus and not to try and find it in the way they look or in their jobs or anywhere else.
Ronél Müller: If I could change one thing for women it would be to remove focus from our faces and bodies and how we don’t measure up to impossible standards as perpetuated by the media. Only then would we be emotionally and psychologically free to express and explore our true beauty and who we are authentically.
Johan Roets: I would change the situation for women in abusive relationships; stopping all physical, verbal and emotional abuse in marriages and relationships.

What is the best piece of advice you ever got from a woman?
Corlia Fouché: Forgive and let go as this contributes to your daily inner happiness.
Gerrit van den Berg: My mother taught me the cliché of happy wife, happy life!
Liezl Nieuwoudt: Wherever life plants you, bloom with grace and passion.
Cornelia de Kock: You have one moment in time – make it count!
Lindy Ras: Cry, mourn, shout, repeat, but never ever give up.
Ronél Müller: “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” Oprah Winfrey
Melissa Love: Respect yourself before others will respect you.
Johan Roets: My wife said to me that I should always listen to her, which I believe is sound advice… When I have my head down, running along, she often has a bird’s eye view of things and it does help to just stop, and listen to her!