“Focus on what you are good at; forget about your weaknesses.”

“I was taught to treat people with respect and dignity. If I have to sit where you are sitting, eat what you are eating, or even bathe you in order for me to build trust and help you, I do that.”

“We have to face the challenge head-on. Out of weeping comes wisdom.”

“I want to see many more black women achieving greatness, not being apologetic for wanting more, wanting better and claiming positions and spaces — without the threat of violence hanging over their heads or discrimination putting them at a disadvantage.”

“I want to see more young women venture into areas that look very daunting, and to realise that they can take up these spaces and own them.”

“I would encourage us to find local, Africa-embedded solutions that consider the local context. All disciplines need us, and women are able to conceive new things that bring life. The generation of ideas for the current and future generations needs more innovators, diverse thinkers and disruptors.”

“My work in rural democracy and women’s rights inspires and heals me at the same time because it’s something I believe in.”

“I advise younger women to not shy away from ‘stretch’ opportunities. In fact, seek them out and do not be scared to fail. It’s how one learns and develops skills.”

“I hope that one day women will get offered the same credentials and afforded the same opportunities as their male counterparts. Women athletes still get paid far less than men and are overlooked for sponsorship, which undermines their talent.”

Chantell Witten has been engaged in the field of food and nutrition for children for 25 years. She is a dietician with a PhD in nutrition and is currently a lecturer in the faculty of health sciences at the University of the Free State. Her passion lies in infant and young child food and nutrition, with a particular focus on the normalisation of breastfeeding.