Kalay Maistry – Celebrating the Courage of Women in 1956

Kalay Maistry, partner and client services director at Razor PR, believes she must build on the courage pioneered by the women of August 9. Photo courtesy.

She believes every woman demonstrates courage in different ways.

“Being brave doesn’t necessarily mean you have to come from a hard-working background.

“The women of 1956 bravely marched to Pretoria, they faced a specific challenge, they united and their spirit still reverberates every day in South Africa, but sometimes you just have to be brave and say, hold on, this is not the right thing to do.

“The difficulties we face may be very different, but we all have some courage that applies to specific situations, whether we’re breaking through ceilings, breaking down doors, holding each other up, or just protecting ourselves in this crazy world.

“That’s what Women’s Day means to me, but it’s about so much more than that, it’s about the women who come after us.”

She said that’s what woke her up in the morning.

“How do we continue to build the sisterhood of 1956? Who are the people who have joined after me? What am I doing to help them? How am I inspiring them? If I don’t get the opportunity, can I help others get that opportunity?”

tell a story

Maestri said she “kind of fell into” the PR industry, having worked for many years as a broadcast journalist.

Maestri grew up in a small town where there was little money for extracurricular activities. However, there was a local library, and that’s where you could find her.

Books gave her access to a world bigger than her small town. “When you’re in a situation where there are few economic opportunities and unemployment is high, you can’t see the outside world; everything is dark.

“Books open up another world. When I look at where I am now, I think it has a lot to do with me being able to read and open up that world.”

By the age of three, she could read and write, and the ability to tell stories became her “specialty”.

Despite her fascination with dolphins, she wanted to be a marine biologist but realized she didn’t like the taste of fresh fish. She also considered law.

“But storytelling is my calling. My name even means the inner goddess of language, art and culture.”

Women’s Voices

She said stories are important because they reflect the societies we live in and the problems within those societies, but women and their role in the news are underrepresented.

“Take the news, for example. Usually, we don’t find women’s voices in the news. It’s always men’s voices.”

But changing this requires the collective efforts of each of us. “Speak your truth out loud. Ask why women’s voices aren’t being heard in this story, campaign, or panel.

“This is an ongoing battle. Every day, each of us must demonstrate the same courage that that woman did in 1956.

“You need to be an active participant in change. You can’t say change is needed and not actually do something about it, even if it’s just one small thing.”

Men play an important role in supporting women. “We need their support. They play a key role in society and in our daily lives.”

“The same is true for women. This is not something we can do alone. Women need to help women.”

Next Generation

Young women benefited greatly from the 1956 marches.

“Women today are freer in their views on themselves and the world. I love their energy and subversiveness.”

She encourages young women to seize every opportunity. “Looking back, I was so brave and bold when I was young. I had the confidence and the arrogance. But you need that so that you don’t get lost in the process of finding yourself.”

She said to try new things, and then try more new things.

“Take on as many skills as possible. I consider myself a Swiss Army knife – I have a skill for every situation.

“It’s not always hard skills, it can also be the ability to deliver or think differently. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”