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SA has in the very recent past lost two heroines — Louise Asmal and Gill Gray, each of whom has made a formidable contribution to development in SA. What these two distinguished women have in common is that their names have always been masked by the names of their departed spouses.
Louise was married to Kader Asmal. She was the cofounder of the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement and served as its secretary for almost 30 years. She was a formidable campaigner in her own right. In SA, she was involved in the establishment and running of the SA Legal Defence Fund in 1991.
The fund focused on raising money for legal representation in human rights matters. Louise campaigned with Kader on each matter where, generally, his name was recorded as initiator. She was throughout her life a writer, researcher, administrator and human rights activist. Louise died on November 23.
Gill was married to Allan Gray. She often, effacingly, referred to herself as “net ’n gewone plaasmeisie van die Oos Kaap”. Gill was meticulous in her thinking and in her deep commitment to use the family resources to provide for future generations of African leaders.
As has been recorded, Allan was a force of nature and Gill was that thinker and supporter who appeared content to be in the shadows. Everybody who met Gill encountered her quiet resolve and power. Thankfully her name lives on as one important part of the Allan and Gill Gray Philanthropies. She died on December 8.
It is important that we recognise these two heroines for their contributions in their own rights and not as mere adjuncts of their highly respected husbands.
Trevor Manuel Chair, Old Mutual
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: Unsung heroines
SA has in the very recent past lost two heroines — Louise Asmal and Gill Gray, each of whom has made a formidable contribution to development in SA. What these two distinguished women have in common is that their names have always been masked by the names of their departed spouses.
Louise was married to Kader Asmal. She was the cofounder of the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement and served as its secretary for almost 30 years. She was a formidable campaigner in her own right. In SA, she was involved in the establishment and running of the SA Legal Defence Fund in 1991.
The fund focused on raising money for legal representation in human rights matters. Louise campaigned with Kader on each matter where, generally, his name was recorded as initiator. She was throughout her life a writer, researcher, administrator and human rights activist. Louise died on November 23.
Gill was married to Allan Gray. She often, effacingly, referred to herself as “net ’n gewone plaasmeisie van die Oos Kaap”. Gill was meticulous in her thinking and in her deep commitment to use the family resources to provide for future generations of African leaders.
As has been recorded, Allan was a force of nature and Gill was that thinker and supporter who appeared content to be in the shadows. Everybody who met Gill encountered her quiet resolve and power. Thankfully her name lives on as one important part of the Allan and Gill Gray Philanthropies. She died on December 8.
It is important that we recognise these two heroines for their contributions in their own rights and not as mere adjuncts of their highly respected husbands.
Trevor Manuel
Chair, Old Mutual
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
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Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.