Premier Alan Winde accepts Scroll of Messages against GBV at Artscape Women’s Humanity Festival
This years Women’s Humanity Festival was one for the books
Image: Supplied
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde used Women’s Day to pledge renewed commitment to humanity, justice and the empowerment of women, speaking at the Artscape Theatre Centre during its 19th annual Women’s Humanity Festival.
Addressing a hall filled with more than 3 000 people from across the province, Winde honoured the legacy of the women of 1956 while acknowledging the ongoing fight against gender-based violence and the overlooked role of women in peace-building across the world.
This Women’s Day, Artscape proudly hosted its 19th annual Women’s Humanity Festival, a month-long celebration and poignant tribute to the indomitable spirit of the women of 1956 who marched for justice and equality.
Winde and members of the diplomatic corps, including the Consul-General of Turkey, the Honorary Consul of Mauritius, the Consul General Nicolas Fierens Gevaert and the Acting Consul General Mr. Matthew Halksworth, attended the entire three-hour formal programme.
Under the theme ‘Peace in Action – working together’, a cohort of over 3 000 attendeess from as far afield as Mamre, Villiersdorp, Ceres, Wellington and the West Coast, including children, youth, older persons and persons with disabilities from diverse urban and rural communities, united to address the pressing issue of gender-based violence (GBV) through feminist theatre, literary activism, community exhibitions, story cafés and the transformative power of arts, music and lived experiences.
On Women’s Day, six Icons of Peace were honoured Judge Albie Sachs, Professor Virginia Davids, Thembi Mshali-Jones, Sue Williamson, Fahruq Valley-Omar and the late Professor Nomvula Mthethwa for their unwavering commitment to humanity, justice, healing and peace.
Winde acknowledged the visionary leadership of the women of 1956 and the year-long efforts of the festival, calling Women’s Day “a day of reflection, commitment to humanity and the empowerment of women in the face of ongoing wars on our doorstep, our continent, in Palestine, the Ukraine and beyond.”
He highlighted the vital role of women in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, peace-building and humanitarian response, lamenting that “these courageous acts of strong women often remain sadly overlooked and their rights denied.”
A scroll of messages and signatures against GBV, collected since the #Step-up for Change Pledge introduced at last year’s festival, was handed to the premier as a means to hold government accountable.
Artscape CEO Marlene le Roux paid homage to grassroots organisations partnering with Artscape year-round.
“Artscape is not just a building providing entertainment. It’s also a centre for humanity, a breathing space where we walk alongside and take hands with the real curators of our Women’s Humanity Festival: the NGOs, civil societies, young women and men, collectives who work tirelessly as volunteers all year round to bring humanity back to our communities,” she said.
Le Roux also honoured the late Prof. Nomvula Mthethwa, “one of the first black social workers to obtain a PhD, who was denied access to a place like this, but who went on to empower thousands of women who can stand tall today.”
She read a short address by Judge Albie Sachs praising the women leaders of 1956, who “led in a completely non-racial way as women… They were twenty years ahead of their menfolk.”
The event also marked a milestone with the first-ever cervical cancer screening conducted in a public building outside a clinic setting, facilitated by the Western Cape Department of Health with the Cancer Alliance and other non-profits.
“We established a dedicated space for women to access vital information on health-related matters, including gender-based violence. This demonstrated the urgent need for more information-sharing platforms and safe spaces where women feel empowered to seek knowledge and support,” said Salome Meyer from the Cancer Alliance.
Other speakers included anti-gang activist Pastor Craven Engel from Stand Up, Mabuse Kau from Men Unchained, GBV survivor Nazeema Benting, and Vainola Makan of Ubuntu Rural Women and Youth Empowerment, who spoke on the plight of West Coast fisherwomen.
The Marble Foyer Extension hosted a photographic exhibition on the subject until the end of August. A poem by Isobella Shutter paid tribute to her late grandmother, Elizabeth Shutter, and opera singers Ernestine Stuurman and Danielle Speckman performed Leo Delibes’ Flower Duet and Somewhere from West Side Story.
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za