Women's Day celebrated at Monash South Africa

20 September 2006

Award winners at the MSA Women's Day Celebration are, from left, Mrs Christine Maritz, Mrs Manda Smit, Mrs Annastacia Baloyi, Ms Sheelagh Walton and Ms Nicolene Murdoch.

Monash South Africa staff celebrated Women's Day on Friday 25 August at what is to become an annual event on campus during the month of August. The day is celebrated nationally in South Africa on 9 September.

Themed 'Celebrating women in the workplace', the Monash South Africa event was attended by women from across the campus.

Evening activities included a talk by founding editor of Women inc magazine Ms Rachel van Doorene, an African dance group, a student praise poem and staff musical performances.

During the night, awards were presented to the following staff by MSA Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Tyrone Pretorius and MSA board member Professor Shirley Zinn to acknowledge their achievements in five different categories:

Ms Sheelagh Walton, Lecturer, School of IT: Most Outstanding Woman in the Academic Field

This award is for excellent skills in teaching and research. The recipient must be a woman who leads and inspires her colleagues and promotes the image of her area of expertise, her students and everyone she engages with in a positive way.

Mrs Manda Smit, Director, Financial Planning and Management: Most Outstanding Woman in the Administrative Field

This award is for excellent and dedicated professional service both internally and externally. The recipient should continually strive for excellence and should be an inspiration. No task is too big or too small and she places no restriction on her time or sharing her expertise and will assist anyone beyond the call of duty.

Mrs Annastacia Baloyi, Catering Supervisor: Most Outstanding Woman in the Support and Service Functions

This award is for a woman who has made a significant contribution to the institution and has been a reliable and loyal team player. She should be motivated and demonstrate the ability to lead, be flexible and provide support in any circumstance and still maintain quality service at all times.

Mrs Christine Maritz, Human Resources and Payroll Officer: Work /Home Balance Award

This award is presented to a woman who has shown exceptional competency in balancing her home and work lives. She should demonstrate an outstanding ability to balance both areas of her life successfully and still provide excellent and professional service within the institution.

Ms Nicolene Murdoch, Director Institutional Planning and Quality Assurance: Most Dynamic Woman Leader on Campus

This award is for a woman who has made a significant contribution within the institution in demonstrating leadership skills. This woman should invest in the future of others in a dedicated and exceptional way. She should be able to get her message across clearly and have the ability to be flexible and should be a true representative of the institution. She should be well respected and held in high regard by everyone.