Janine Brink, a financial advisor at Liberty Life, noticed a serious need to empower women in the field of financial planning. She decided to plan an event for National Women’s Day in 2016 for her clients and a few other ladies, which included hosting guest speakers on different topics that women would be interested in. She called her event Empower Me. The event was such a success; she hosted the event the following year again. She noticed a common energy present at all different women’s day events – a positive and uplifting energy. Women loved getting together to be motivated, inspired and empowered by knowledgeable guest speakers.

Janine realised that in order to truly empower and motivate women to become the best versions of themselves, Empower Me had to become a monthly event, not an annual event. She said: “We are in a time of transformation and we cannot expect the women of our country to make a change, to take a stand or to be heard, if we attempt to empower them only once a year. It just had to be a regular event.”

On the 7th March 2018 she launched Empower Me, a women’s membership network aimed to inspire, motivate and empower women in all areas of their lives to help them become the best version of their authentic selves.

The network includes a glamorous monthly event with guest speakers, a separate exclusive membership “club” that offers special discounts and spoils from luxury brands, self-development workshops, business networking and social events.

Janine strongly believes that all women need to be educated, inspired, motivated and empowered to change their current situation and lead a different, better life. Thus, a percentage of the Empower Me event ticket sales and membership fees will be donated to NPOs who empower women and girls in less affluent communities.

A few NPOs that Janine has chosen to support are:

FeFine (Females With Finance)

Dress For Success (Provides professional attire for low-income women, to help support their job-search and interview process.)

POWA (People Opposing Women Abuse)

A21 (Abolishing human trafficking)

Janine hopes to expand Empower Me to Johannesburg in the near future and possibly the rest of South Africa too. Her aim is to genuinely make a difference to the lives of women. She said: “Even if only one woman’s life changes for the better, then it was all worth it.”

For more information on Empower Me, visit the website at: www.empower-me.co.za