Salimi Gerhard: Women, straighten your crowns

Radio personality Salimi Gerhard is taking her advocacy beyond the airwaves with a women’s empowerment brunch scheduled for 14 March at an Oshakati hotel.

The event, titled ‘Straighten Your Crowns, Ladies – It’s Time to Rise’, aims to create a space for healing, reflection and renewed confidence among women.

It will run from 15h00 to 20h00, with tickets priced at N$100.

Gerhard, known for her presence on radio, says the initiative grew out of a desire to address the struggles many women face privately.

“I was inspired by the need to remind women of their worth and power as many are silently carrying heavy burdens.

“I felt this was the right time to create a space where they can pause, heal, and rise again,” she says.

Gerhard says the brunch is not solely about motivation, but about confronting personal challenges that often go unspoken.

“There are women who have experienced emotional trauma, rejection, financial struggles, and self-doubt, all of which have happened in silence. For me, the key to empowering women is healing,” she says.

The programme will combine networking, dialogue and lifestyle elements, including brunch and cocktails. The organisers say the focus will be on practical conversations around personal growth and leadership.

Among the invited speakers is Ohangwena governor Kadiva Hamutumwa, who represents leadership and resilience, Gerhard says.

Other guests include author and business coach Victoria Haihambo, who has experience in local economic development and entrepreneurship.

Haihambo says she hopes attendees will leave feeling seen and encouraged. She wants every woman present to believe “they have a story worth being told and that it is her time to rise”.

The event’s theme, ‘Popping Colours’, is intended to symbolise personality and self-expression.

Gerhard says visible representation of women in leadership positions plays a role in building confidence in others.

Her motivation for hosting the brunch is shaped by her own experience. She recalls a period of unemployment during which she relied heavily on her father for support and faced rejection. Through mentorship and faith, she says, she has rebuilt her confidence.

Gerhard is currently completing a master’s degree in youth and community development and plans to establish a youth and community development centre focused on mentoring and counselling.

“‘Straighten Your Crowns, Ladies’ is a reminder of an empowered woman creating an empowered community,” she says.

Gerhard hopes the brunch will become an annual fixture on the Oshakati calendar, extending its reach beyond a single gathering.

“I want women to leave restored, confident, and connected. I want them to have more than just motivation. I want them to have the tools and courage to take their next bold step.”

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