MEDIA RELEASE
10 AUGUST 2022
A powerful symbol of equality: The original Africa's Fearless Thinker statue in Namibia
A statue of a proud and courageous African Thinker, her chin held aloft, her stance bold, her right-hand gesturing towards the resting concrete lion bench by her side. This is the sight that now greets passers-by outside the RMB Head Office on Independence Avenue, Windhoek. An artistic expression of fearless thinking, courage, diversity, and gender equality.
These statues were unveiled by Her Excellency the First Lady of The Republic of Namibia Madame Monica Geingos and RMB Chief Executive Officer Philip Chapman at the RMB Head Office on Independence Avenue.
The statue of the young woman, entitled ‘Africa’s Fearless Thinker’, was created by artist Marieke Prinsloo-Rowe, while the concrete lion was created by Pieter Greyvensteyn. Africa’s Fearless Thinker was inspired by the iconic ‘Fearless Girl’ statue in New York which faces down Wall Street’s bronze ‘Charging Bull’ in 2017.
Termed by Madame Geingos as a form of “unspoken advocacy”, Africa’s Fearless Thinker embodies the values of courage and strength, as well as collaboration, by choosing to stand with the lion by her side. This lion, which appears in RMB’s logo, represents the institution's near five-decade history of partnership in Africa. The lion is also a symbol of Africa and, as the Fearless Thinker’s companion, provides her with a safe space in which courageous conversations can be held.
Africa’s Fearless Thinker is a powerful symbol of gender equality. “For RMB Namibia, gender equality is a business imperative with the clear agenda to focus on both men and women and the collaborative diversity they offer,” says Philip Chapman, CEO of RMB in Namibia. “This makes Africa’s Fearless Thinker an incredible beacon of hope to young women in Africa – encouraging them to lead in their own authentic way.”
Madame Geingos’ noted that "we cannot have a society that functions when we have broken children, and those who experience the worst of our brokenness unfortunately are women and girls. This statue is inspirational to the extent that we are reminded to start doing better in protecting our adolescent girls and young women from harm."
RMB, and the rest of the FirstRand Namibia Group, believe that it is vital that a woman’s status in the economy is elevated, through changing attitudes around gender roles, improving working conditions, widening social safety nets, and implementing policies that allow women to participate in the formal economy.
“We want to create a workplace where everyone, irrespective of gender, can thrive and achieve success in their careers,” continues Chapman. “It is unbelievable how a sculpture can encapsulate all this with such beautiful simplicity.”
"When I look at statues like this and I imagine women in the corporate space, the first thing I think about is that we need to protect young girls from harm." said Madame Geingos, while urging all those in attendance to protect the girl child from the risks in this world that shrink our girls, and encouraged all to provide safe spaces for open discussion on gender issues.
The public is invited to visit the life-size artworks of Africa’s Fearless Thinker and the lion, and be inspired to embrace courage, stay curious and always question the status quo.
"Because at RMB we believe that fearless thinking, coupled with a collaborative mindset, can unlock the collective wisdom to support our clients and the broader society, as well as to find opportunity in adversity," concludes Chapman.
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Contact:
Kawela M’ule l RMB and FNB Namibia l (+264 61) 299 2115 l kawela.mule@fnbnamibia.com.na
