Women, embrace yourselves
‘It’s all about believing you are enough…’
WOMEN should embrace themselves and say “I’m enough”. This is according to lawyer, activist and model Thando Hopa, who was speaking at the inaugural Marie Claire Future Shapers 2017.
Hopa, who lives with albinism, spoke about the importance of self-acceptance, self-love and why women should embrace themselves first. “Women need to know they are adequate, and find ‘enoughness’ in every sense of themselves,” she said.
“Looking different and standing out because of my appearance had always made me feel anxious, as I was often teased about it,” she explained.
“This first shoot started me on my journey towards self-acceptance and ‘enoughness’. I realised that by stretching my own boundaries, I was doing it not only for myself but also for all the young girls out there who were feeling that they were not enough. The truth is: we are all enough, and when we believe that, the world comes to believe that too.”
Hopa was recently part of the Pirelli calendar and has also been the face of Audi’s Q2 Untag-able campaign.
Asif Hoosen, head of Marketing and Products for Audi SA, said their brand’s participation in the Marie Claire Power Issue featuring South Africa’s future shapers “goes beyond just investing in empowering women but helps forge a path within South Africa.”
Hopa is one of the women on the cover of the magazine’s August issue which profiles 12 women who are “future shapers” and also disrupting the status quo as inspirational trailblazers to help secure a better future for South Africa and inspire others.
Deputy editor of Marie Claire, Lynette Botha, said the issue “was the first South African issue of its kind and one that the magazine plans to continue annually”.
Hopa said she was honoured to be the cover star for the issue and proud to be selected as one of the fearless females who are shaping the future of South Africa for generations to come.
Other women named as Future Shapers and featured in the issue are Dr Sindiwe Magona, (award-winning writer and mentor); Dr Adriana Marais (theoretical physicist and astronaut candidate finalist for the Mars One Project); Nicole Bessick (actress, presenter, and anti-bullying spokesperson); Africa’s youngest Neurosurgeon Dr Ncumisa Lihle Jilata; founder of Rekindle Learning, Rapelang Rabana; director of Umgibe Farming Organics and Training Institute Nonhlanhla Joye; founder of EMPIRE advertising agency Lusanda Worsley; founder of DreamGirls South Africa Ezlyn Barends; theatre practitioner and poet Koleka Putuma; creative writer and filmmaker Jessie Zinn; film-maker, activist, and community-development worker Sinazo Peter.