Women empowerment has accelerated in the 21st century and so this exciting phenomenon is celebrated by Bata, every day. No one leaves the building without something valuable that they can take away with them as they grow into the person that they’re destined to become.
Part three of our interview is a touching story shared by one of Bata’s greatest women; Ursula Mansur who motivates and inspires many women in the fashion industry on a daily basis. She’s authentic and upbeat, and she is the life of the party! Prepare to be inspired! Being this fabulous takes a brave heart with sheer determination.
So read the full interview below between Bata and Ursula; DC Manager at Bata and let’s do more for women empowerment in South Africa!
Bata: Hey Ursula! It’s women’s month and we would like to find out more about you and how you balance your life in the 21st century. Also, if you have a shout-out for the women out there, we’d love to hear it! Over to you!…
Ursula: Hey! I’m the DC Manager for Bata and have been with the team 3 years and 3 months now. I’m a super passionate individual and I thoroughly enjoy what I do. It’s important to wake up smiling because you know that you’re going to a job that you love! I draw inspiration from within myself. If you feel inspired in your daily life, others will too! I believe that that is the job of being a woman.
I’m also a mother and I have a daughter, who is a very confident young lady. She gets it from her mama. *laughs*
Bata: *laughs* we can believe that!
Bata: So, do you ever get men, especially in warehousing that think you are physically not able to perform certain duties required of you?
Ursula: All the time!
Bata: Oh gosh! *laughs*
Ursula: All the time! But, I know that I always come out number one no matter what task is put on the table.
Bata: Whoop! Whoop! *laughs*
Ursula: I have lots of nieces too. The female strain is strong in our family. All the ladies in my life look up to me for lots of inspiration as a loving caregiver. And, that’s me in a nutshell. Workwise, I empower my female staff at Bata every single day, through lots of inspiring and motivational talks. Women empowerment is very important to me! It flows in the workspace and they love it! I speak to them constantly about their fashion, style and how they conduct themselves in public. Personally, it’s important to me that they feel inspired to look and feel like the lovely young ladies that they are.
Bata: Please can you share with us some of the challenges you face being a female within your position and how do you navigate through them?
Ursula: I do face a few challenges with the male folk out there, which is to be expected. I take charge of my role and that can sometimes be seen or taken the wrong way. A lot of guys feel that this type of job should actually be for “men only”. I’ve been working in warehousing for many years and as a woman coming into this position, you need to be very confident and firm.
Bata: *laughs* yes…
Ursula: I always encourage women that want to be in logistics in warehousing to be strong and take a confident approach when it comes to working with men in this environment. A lot of the men do feel and believe that they know better.
Bata: What would you say are the positive attributes that only females bring to this role?
Ursula: *laughs* yes! Let me tell you about that… As a female coming into Bata distribution, having a personal touch with people, the pride that I have taken with me into this role has really stood out. I’m focused and ambitious, and I think that’s what my staff thrive on. Perhaps that’s one of the most valuable contributions I give within my role. I’m a nurturer and being able to nail the finer details too definitely gives me the cutting edge.
Bata: So, how do you balance your role – being a fulltime working mother and partner to someone? Can you offer some women empowerment advice to other females out there in a similar position who aspire to be more productive with creating balance in their career and family life?
Ursula: Well, when you’re in a role that demands certain things from you, you really need to prioritise balancing your family life. Both are important. You need to be able to disconnect from work when you’re at home with your family. And, vice versa when you’re at work.
However, this can be challenging when you have children. My children are older now and they don’t live at home anymore. However, my grandson does live with me and I still do homework with him and all the necessary schooling requirements. So, I do need to balance things.
As they say, “There is a time and a place for everything”, so – when it comes to work and having to balance my work life with my partner, communication is everything! We communicate what we need to and then we get on with our day. He often supports and offers me advice as he is also in a management position. We both don’t like taking work home and bringing personal things to the office. This way we are on the same page that way and I have found that it just works for us.
Bata: That’s amazing! We have been listening to all these stories about how different women balance their lives and every time we hear that we feel so inspired!
Ursula: *laughs* I’m very passionate about what I do and I always encourage the women in my life to live with purpose and find meaning in each day. That way, you will feel more inspired and be more present in each area of your life. Giving it your all!
Bata: Thank you, Ursula, for such an inspiring interview with all the women power talk and sharing your story with us.
“If you feel inspired in your daily life, others will too!” – Ursula
So, this is what it’s all about, ladies! Passion, dedication, a good sense of humour and taking charge of your life! You’ve got this! Go out and celebrate the beautiful woman that you are. Thank you for reading our article on women empowerment! For more interviews with empowering South African women in the fashion industry, visit our news page.
With love,
The Bata Team.
