We chatted to Ross Khan, winner of the women's month T-Shirt design competition to gain some insight into his life, views on women empowerment and his inspiration behind his beautiful winning design.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
"My name is Ross Khan, I am 33 years old, from Johannesburg.
I am a cybersecurity professional at a large financial services company in South Africa. I have been in cybersecurity for the past 15 years and absolutely passionate about what I do, the challenges the role brings, and the opportunity to build trust by protecting the company's assets and our client's data."
When did you start drawing/designing and what inspired you to start?
"Through my studies, one of the subjects was marketing, and whilst this is not specifically drawing or design in the typical sense, I was completely amazed by finding a way through design to market yourself and your offerings. I love taking what would be seemingly boring information and designing them in a way that people love and enjoy."
What was your motivation for entering the women's month T-shirt design competition?
"I was deeply motivated by the opportunity to create something for others and have my name associated with a greater cause."
What was the inspiration behind your design?
What does women's empowerment mean to you?
"We think of ourselves as open-minded, dynamic creatures of the world, open to change, and having free will. But I believe that people we hang out with, where we are born, what language we speak, and what sex we are often sculpting our perception of the world and shapes your world view.
Because of this many countries share different appreciation and celebration of women and their rights.
Women empowerment for me means freedom, nothing should influence a woman's free will to decide who she is and where she is going and more importantly, what she can achieve.
Empowerment for me means highlighting and making a conscious effort to remind ourselves and unearth the contributions of women throughout history, celebrate the achievements and making strides towards equality."
What is your favourite thing about living in South Africa?
"Great weather, friendly faces, and abundance of natural beauty on our doorstep. So many places around the world are easy to describe a native of that land. But you cannot truly describe a South African, what they look like or how they sound, and for this, I love the diversity our country has to offer."
If you would like to get your hands on one of these beautiful T-Shirts check out the link below. R30 from every purchase will be donated to Women empowerment initiatives around South Africa.
