Lee-Anne Germanos

What do you love about yourself and what you do?
I love knowing that I have the ability to make a change; that I am able to use my talents and acquired skill to make a difference. I love knowing that I have the ability to make an impact – on a small and grand scale.

What/who is your biggest influence?
My father. He came as a poor immigrant to South Africa when he was a young boy. My ambition and my understanding that we’re all equal – that no one is better than anyone else because of their status – comes from him.

What barriers have you faced in becoming successful in your field? How did you overcome them?
I think, as a woman, I always feel that I have something to prove. I believe that that is actually what makes women compete with one another in the workplace. We rarely uplift one another and are sometimes the most difficult to work for as well. I would love for us, as women, to get to a point where we can strike a balance; not have to prove ourselves to our male counterparts to the detriment of one another as women (and ourselves).

If you could describe yourself in three words, what would it be?
Strong-willed. Ambitious. Nurturing. 

Name one reason you love being a woman in general.
I love that we embody the best qualities stereotypically associated with both sexes – that we are nurturing and powerful at the same time.

How are you celebrating being a woman during Women’s Month?
I am embracing my inherent power and letting that shine through on platforms such as these, where I have the opportunity to create awareness – particularly around The Embrace Project and the work that we do.

If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would that be?
Be more humble and listen.

What do you think is the biggest issue today facing women?
I think that the issues facing women today are not much different to the ones that have faced them for centuries: a lack of safety of person and substantive inequality (in the workplace and social settings).  

What main change would you like to see for young girls in the next generation?
I would like to see the narrative in society change. It has been determined by the patriarchy for so long that we (as women) even buy into it. I want this generation to raise questions; to question our narrative of everything. 

How important is it for girls to lift each other up, and what does that mean to you?
As I alluded to earlier, I think that we, as women, are so focused on proving ourselves in a male-dominated world that we bring one another down in the process. Our strength lies in our numbers. Our collective power, as women, as was demonstrated in the 1956 Women’s March, is unrivalled. Why are we not tapping into that? 

Leanne Berger

What do you love about yourself and what you do? 
I am an illustrator and designer, so I love being creative, and being able to help people bring their ideas into reality through visuals!

What/who is your biggest influence?
My biggest influence is probably aiming to do work with meaning.  I try to partner with clients who have a vision, who are starting conversations and confronting real issues with their projects.

What barriers have you faced, in becoming successful in your field? How did you overcome them?
I didn’t study illustration or design, so it was a learning curve to become well versed in the design programmes I use.  I also found it difficult to get my work out there initially, unsure which channels to use.  Eventually, I just started networking as much as I could and chasing every potential lead until I got clients!

If you could describe yourself in three words, what would it be?
Creative, humorous, driven.

Name one reason you love being a woman in general.
As women, we have so many strengths.  I learnt that in business and life, women often feel like they have to act a certain way, mostly due to society implying women are ‘soft’. However, I have come to realise that empathy, honesty and nurturing are much stronger traits and should not be disguised, but rather celebrated.

How are you celebrating being a woman during Women’s Month?
I remember the women who led the march to the Union Buildings in 1956, and I have been reading up on some of their accounts of the day.  It is inspiring to see how, despite the oppressive regime they lived in, they stood up for what is right.

If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would that be?
Take your ideas, your hobbies and your passions seriously.  Carve your own place in the world.

What do you think is the biggest issue today facing women?
The most urgent issue for South African women is gender-based violence.  Women cannot walk down the street for fear of violence, and this attack on our dignity and freedom of movement is unacceptable.

This is how The Embrace Project was started with my co-founder Lee-Anne Germanos, with the realisation that we had to combat this in our society.

What main change would you like to see for young girls in the next generation?
I hope it is gender equality, where women are treated with dignity and respect.

How important is it for girls to lift each other up, and what does that mean to you?
It is so important. Many influences imply that girls are competing with each other.  In reality, we are teammates, with the power to lift each other and ourselves up, if we choose to.

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