Judging panel announced

Shoprite Checkers Women of the Year judging panel announced

11 June 2010

The names of the panel of judges for the Shoprite Checkers Women of the Year Award which will award exceptional and visionary women who have achieved in their own fields with the determination and foresight to make an impact on the future of many fellow South Africans have been announced.

Chaired by High Court Judge, Lucy Mailula, the panel of judges, comprising of 16 high profile South Africans, will meet in June 2010 to determine the finalists and winners.

The categories of the new Award have been selected very carefully to look at some of the social and economic issues that will impact positively on the future of the country. South Africans nominated the nation’s heroines of the future in five categories, namely: Health Care-Givers; Educators; Corner Shop to Big Business Makers; Good Neighbours and Youth Movers.

The category for Health-Care Givers is chaired by Prof Sharon Fonn, a renowned academic who has widely published in the fields of women’s health, gender and health systems development. She is assisted by Prof Lynette Denny who has been doing research for the past 15 years in preventing cervical cancer in low resource settings and Dr Naeema Abrahams, a senior specialist scientist at the Gender & Health Unit of the Medical Research Council of South Africa.

In the Educators category Prof Teboho Moja, who has served as Special Advisor to two Ministers of Education in South Africa is the chairperson. The other two panel members are Prof Sarah (“Saartjie”) Gravett, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Johannesburg and Dr Gcina Mhlophe-Becker who is one of the most prominent storytellers in South Africa.

The chairperson in the Corner Shop to Big Business Makers category is Ms Chichi Maponya, who is a dynamic young business woman. Ms Jeanne Groenewald another successful business woman who runs a multi-million enterprise and Mr Mokgethi Tshabalala who is the Head of Operations at the Branson School of Entrepreneurship complete the panel.

Well-respected South African journalist, Ms Ruda Landman, heads the panel for the Good Neighbours category. She is joined by Ms Nonkombi Bertha Gxowa, former Treasurer-General of the ANC Women’s League and Dr Barbara Holtmann who leads research in crime and violence at the Meraka Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

The chairperson of the Youth Movers category is Mr Thebe Ikalafeng, one of South Africa’s top marketers who have been recognised nationally and internationally in the marketing industry. He is assisted by Ms Aadielah Maker, a well-known community health campaigner and a senior executive for social mobilisation at the Soul City Institute and Mr Vaughn Bishop, the man who conceptualised and manages the award winning Let’s Play campaign which has been recognised as the best CSI initiative in South Africa.

Through this Award the Shoprite Group wants to focus the attention of the people of South Africa on finding solutions for those critical matters affecting the nation’s future. The winners will be awarded with individual prize money but we will also give R100 000 towards the work they do for a better future.

To ensure sustainability of this work the Shoprite Checkers Women of the Year Award has partnered with the WHEAT Women’s Fund to help the winners manage the investment of the R100 000 for their project.

The WHEAT Women’s Fund is an organisation committed to achieving gender justice through supporting grassroots women’s initiatives with investments, skills training and technical support. They help community-based organisations and projects to implement their outreach efforts and encourage accountability and good governance.

Furthermore the Shoprite Checkers Women of the Year Award will honour an esteemed South African who during her or his lifetime has inspired generations.

The public has been asked to nominate the Lifetime Achiever who will receive R100 000 to donate to a cause which the recipient believes will better the lives of South Africans.

They will also be asked to vote for the women they believe deserving of winning in the various categories once the finalists’ work are profiled in the media. The public voting will account for 30% of the final score although the judges’ decision will be final.

The Award culminates with a spectacular gala evening in July 2010 at Emperors Palace in Gauteng to announce the winners. This dazzling event will be broadcast during prime time on Monday, 9 August 2010 on MNet.