ADVERTORIAL
SHE CARRIES IT
FORWARD
BY MOKEBE THULO, CEO OF AWARE. ORG
AWARE. org’ s latest campaign recognises the important role women often play in shaping healthier choices.
Every campaign eventually comes to an end. The billboards come down. The adverts stop. The social media posts disappear beneath the next news cycle.
But in my experience, it’ s not the campaigns that change behaviour. People do. Real change begins when someone carries the conversation beyond the campaign itself.
This Women’ s Month, the Association for Alcohol Responsibility and Education( AWARE. org) is recognising the women who do exactly that through our She Carries It Forward campaign. Not because women should carry the responsibility alone, but because every day across South Africa, they carry conversations, values, and behaviours that shape the people around them.
It is the teacher who challenges harmful social norms in her classroom. The nurse who reassures an expectant mother that no amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy. The grandmother who reminds her family that celebrations do not have to revolve around alcohol. The friend who offers to drive everyone home. These moments rarely make headlines, yet they influence decisions that can change lives.
Research shows that behaviour change spreads through trusted relationships and community networks. Women are often at the centre of these networks, making them powerful catalysts for healthier choices. At AWARE. org, we know that awareness is only the beginning. Campaigns create opportunities for conversation, but lasting change happens when those conversations continue long after the campaign has ended.
Our recent national research into alcohol use during pregnancy reinforced this clearly. While most South Africans understand the risks of drinking during pregnancy, harmful myths remain widespread. The challenge is not simply knowledge. It is the environments we create, the social norms we reinforce, and whether the people around us make healthy choices easier or harder. This philosophy underpins all of AWARE. org’ s programmes and campaigns. Through initiatives such as # NOtoU18, Don’ t Drink and Drive, and Sober Pregnancies, we start conversations that challenge harmful norms and encourage healthier choices.
She Carries It Forward recognises the important role women often play in shaping healthier choices. It is an invitation to everyone, including partners, families, healthcare workers, educators, and communities, to help carry the conversation forward. Campaigns start conversations. People carry them forward. That is how healthier choices become healthier communities. IB
82 INBOUND SA / AUGUST 2026