The month of August provides an opportunity to turn the spotlight on the issues of women’s empowerment and emancipation, gender equality and other related issues.
At Rhodes, Women’s Week is celebrated the week preceding Women’s Day on 9 August, and forms part of the broader gender project on campus. According to Larissa Klazinga, Student Support Officer in the Dean of Students Office, this week has been for the most part about getting across messages of autonomy and empowerment of women taking control of their bodies, their sexuality, their lives. The purpose has been to let women speak for themselves and have their voices heard, so that society can move away from objectifying women.?
An interactive session with representatives of the Keiskamma Trust, which includes the now famous Keiskamma Arts Project and tapestries, began Women’s Week on a high note. Beth Vale, who organised the event, said she was impressed by how much the women of the project were doing for themselves and their community, “they are awesome,” she said, getting involved in the detail of people’s lives rather than just taking on board generic solutions.
There was also a focus on violence against women, with parts of the campus being taken by surprise through some very innovative “ambush theatre” that highlighted this issue. Led by Lara van Lelyveld, some 15 students dressed up as women of different ages, occupations and backgrounds, some with the signs of physical violence on them, and formed tableaus at various strategic points such as the Bicycle Lawn and Eden Grove. The aim was to show that no woman is immune to violence – it can target anyone and take many different shapes – and all women need to be alert to this.
Another exciting project of Women’s Week was the staging of The Vagina Monologues by “home-grown” actors from within the ranks of the Rhodes community. Klazinga says she was struck by the diversity of the cast this year - representing a mix of class, age, race, nationality, etc. - and felt it was a good barometer of where Rhodes is going as a campus.
Shelley Roberts of the Development Division participated for the first time in this piece, motivated by how moving and thought-provoking her experience as an audience member had been last year. This time, she found it very interesting to be on stage all the time and observe the reactions of the audience, ranging from being very uncomfortable to being very emotional, but never indifferent.
The productions of The Vagina Monologues were well supported, with the Nun’s Chapel overflowing on Friday evening and people clamouring to get in. The initiative raised over R5 000 for the Rape Survivors Support Centre that operates out of the Grahamstown Police Station.
Roberts particularly enjoyed Women’s Week this year, because there was less angst and more camaraderie and a sense of enjoyment, “The rehearsals were the best part,” she said.
The exhibition My Body, My Choice seemed to encapsulate much of what Women’s Week was about – a celebration of women as individuals, but also of their solidarity through shared experiences.
Photographer: Chrisna Coetzee