EVENTS
Saluting women of steel
The Southern African Institute of Steel Construction (SAISC)
celebrated the steel sector’s strongest females at its inaugural
Women of Steel event.
By the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction (SAISC) | Photos by Denise Sherman
The SAISC maiden Women of Steel high tea event was a resounding success.
T
he SAISC made history earlier this
year when the institute hosted its
very first Women of Steel high tea
event at the Johannesburg Country Club in
Auckland Park, Johannesburg.
The Women of Steel event was initiated
by the SAISC as a mechanism for
recognising the vital role that women play
in the industry, and to encourage them
to be proactive about connecting
and contributing.
The positive response from women
across the industry was phenomenal and
the event was a resounding success,
boasting a full house of professionals,
managers, administrative staff and even
engineering students from three
different universities.
SAISC chief executive officer Paolo
Trinchero delivered a short welcome and
implored attendees to engage with the
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NOVEMBER 2018
CLADDING // CONCRETE // INSULATION // STEEL // THATCH // TIMBER // TRANSLUCENT // WATERPROOFING // COMPONENTS
SAISC on an ongoing basis. “We believe that
we need a lot more diversity within the
SAISC, and that speaks to gender, to race
and to the South Africa that we live in,”
said Trinchero.
The SAISC welcomes input from all
individual and company members and
encourages active participation – from
grassroots to boardroom level. “There are
some serious elements to today,” said
Trinchero. “We certainly will take those
issues up and try to drive change in the
steel industry,” he concluded.
The SAISC thanked guest speakers Eileen
Pretorius, procurement director from Aveng
Trident Steel; Nicolette Skjoldhammer,
managing director of Betterect; and Raksha
Mahabeer, entrepreneur and co-owner of
Summertime Creative Agency, for sharing
their insights. The event was punctuated
with knowing nods, laughs, tears, and
above all, inspiration for the future of
women of steel.
The impact of the event is elegantly
summed up in the feedback received from
final year civil engineering student Gaelle
Mabasa, “Thank you so much for the
Woman of Steel function. It was very
enlightening. I am a very shy girl and I
usually dislike leadership roles or speaking
up – it gave me a little push!”
Well received, the event attracted a full
house of professionals, managers,
administrative staff and even
engineering students.
www.saroofing.co.za