This Women’s Day, the Cape Town Chinese Women’s Association embraced the spirit of unity, joy, and empowerment with an event that left everyone laughing, learning, and celebrating together.
Held at Grand China in Cape Town, Bronwyn Kilroe, a Laughter Coach known for her ability to brighten any room with her infectious energy, led the event.
Kilroe introduced the concept of laughter as a powerful tool for managing stress and boosting wellbeing.
“Laughter helps to boost your self-esteem because when you laugh, whether pretend or real, it releases all these happy hormones,” she explained.
“Stress levels drop because laughter and stress are opposites. So when you’re stressing, you should actually be laughing to reduce that.”
She mentioned research by Dr Lee Berk from Loma Linda University, showing that daily laughter lowers stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
“The body can’t tell the difference between fake laughter and the real thing, so fake it until you make it,” she said.
As part of an exercise designed to boost confidence and create a positive atmosphere among women, Kilroe encouraged everyone to say words of affirmation “I am awesome”.
The exercise not only lightened the mood, but also brought everyone closer together, creating a strong sense of connection among the Chinese women.
Megan, the secretary of the Chinese Women’s Association, also took the opportunity to speak about the group’s history and mission.
“We started in 2013 as a small group of women who wanted to support and empower each other.
“Over the years, we’ve organised many events to help women grow in different ways, economically, creatively, and personally,” she said.
Megan’s words highlighted the importance of Women’s Day as a time to focus on women’s achievements and to take a break from their many roles.
“It’s important to have a day just for us, where we can celebrate being women instead of being mothers, employees, or wives,” she said.
The event also included a speech from Madam Zhu, the wife of the Consul General, who spoke about the strength of community and the role of women in building supportive networks.
IOL