Women Rising celebrates courage, legacy and the power of women’s stories

By Anisha Pemjee

30 August 2026

Women’s Month was celebrated through diplomacy, literature and women’s empowerment at an event hosted by the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in South Africa, in partnership with the Embassy of Colombia and the International Diplomatic Spouses Association (IDSA). The gathering featured the presentation of Women Rising: An International Anthology, a collection which sets out to gather the voices and experiences of women from more than one hundred countries, across five continents.

IDSA Patron Winny Lamola delivered an inspirational keynote address, urging women to recognise that rising is not defined only by public achievement, titles or positions.

She highlighted the many forms that women’s strength can take, including raising children, supporting families, pursuing education, building businesses, entering spaces previously closed to women and creating opportunities for others.

For Winny, one of the most important aspects of celebrating women is recognising the transformation that often takes place away from public view. She urged women to value their personal journeys and not mistake invisibility for insignificance.

A significant part of her address focused on the legacy of Queen Njinga Mbandi of Ndongo and Matamba, whose story continues to resonate centuries after her reign.

Winny highlighted Queen Njinga as a woman who negotiated, led and defended her people, using diplomacy and statecraft in a world where power was overwhelmingly held by men.

“Women Rising is not a new story,” Winny said. “We are continuing a story women began long before us.”

She stressed the importance of passing such stories from one generation to the next, ensuring that the achievements and struggles of women who came before are not forgotten.

Her reflections also connected Queen Njinga’s legacy with that of the women of South Africa, including the more than 20,000 women who marched to the Union Buildings in 1956 in protest against the extension of pass laws to women.

The Women Rising anthology seeks to continue this tradition of preserving women’s experiences through their own voices.

IDSA President Karem Ruiz de Livieres introduced the anthology and outlined an initiative being undertaken as part of IDSA’s 25th anniversary. The project will bring together IDSA members, women ambassadors and heads of mission, and prominent women in public life, through poetry, prose and personal stories.

The anthology is intended not only to celebrate women but to create a lasting legacy. Proceeds will go to the IDSA Scholarship Fund, supporting university scholarships for young women, with the aim of providing educational opportunities that can have an impact far beyond the individual recipients.

The legacy of the project, Karem explained, will ultimately be seen in the young women who benefit from these scholarships and go on to make a difference in their families, communities, countries and globally.

Women Rising will be published as a special edition of Avança, Mulher (“Go Forward, Woman”) in collaboration with IDSA. Avança, Mulher is a literary project originating in Angola. Published by Angola Gira Livro, the 462-page anthology brings together texts by 114 authors from 10 countries, including short stories, poetry and chronicles exploring the diverse experiences and role of women in society.

Avança, Mulher was created as an inclusive platform through which women could share their experiences, emotions, faith, purpose and determination. The project seeks to inspire women from different social backgrounds and to encourage a literary movement centred on women’s strength and empowerment.

Egna de Sousa, one of the authors and speakers at the event, is a career diplomat and poet, and has been recognised as one of Angola’s 100 most influential women. She is known for her literary work focusing on women’s empowerment and children’s creativity and is a co-creator of Avança, Mulher. The anthology was also available at the event.

The connection between Avança, Mulher and Women Rising lies in their shared belief in the power of women telling their own stories.

Winny encouraged women who have reached important milestones in their lives to share their experiences so that others can learn from their journeys.

“A finished chapter does not mean a finished book,” she said, noting that one woman’s completed chapter can become a map for another woman beginning hers.

She also called on women who have reached positions of influence to reach back and help others rise by mentoring, sharing knowledge, opening doors and creating opportunities.

The message resonated with the purpose of the IDSA 25th anniversary anthology: that empowering women is not only about celebrating the achievements of today, but investing in the women who will shape tomorrow.

The event demonstrated how diplomacy and cultural exchange can provide a platform for women’s voices to be heard across borders. Through Women Rising, the experiences of women from different countries, cultures and backgrounds will become part of a collective record of courage, perseverance and aspiration.

As Winny concluded, when women rise together, their progress extends beyond themselves.

“When women rise together, the world cannot remain the same.”