Iziko Museums of South Africa will host a dynamic Women’s Day event at the Iziko Slave Lodge, and provide *free entry to (selected) Iziko museums, on Friday 9 August 2019.
Celebrate, commemorate and reflect with activists, poets, researchers and academics, and individuals from various communities, who will participate in a discussion – shedding light on the role of women in fighting against apartheid; and in the continued fight against gender-based oppression today.
Women’s Day Workshop and Discussion at the Iziko Slave Lodge
The Women’s Day Workshop and Discussion at the Iziko Slave Lodge takes place from 11h00 until 13h00.
This intergenerational discussion will be chaired by history student and activist, Ms Mischka Lewis. A panel comprising of: South African actress and television presenter, Ms Crystal Donna Roberts; political scientist and public policy analyst, Ms Ntebaleng Morake; part-time Commissioner for South Africa’s Constitutional Commission and chair of Robben Island Museum Council, Ms Bernedette Muthien, will discuss the challenges that women face in societies, businesses and politics today, as well as the role played by young women during the “Fallist” movement.
The acclaimed poet, writer and storyteller of mixed Khoisan and slave ancestry, Ms Diana Ferrus, will also render her words at this event.
‘Throughout history, women have been at the forefront of initiating change to their lives and that of their communities. Women have challenged repression, called for the vote, organized protests, written petitions, challenged stereotypes and fought for equality in the in the face of repression and suppression. They have fought for social justice against intimidation and for human rights. We walk in the path of these women who have fought for our security to be treated as equal. We should never forget that women continuously face challenges to get good medical care, access to clean drinking water, fight against intimidation and high levels of crime. Women’s Day is about identifying priorities that every South African should take steps to build and sustain a solid social fabric. Today we need to celebrate achievements of all South Africans in the past 25 years and to reaffirm and raise awareness against bias and work towards an equitable future’, says Ms Rooksana Omar, CEO of Iziko Museums of South Africa.
WHERE: Iziko Slave Lodge, Adderley Street, Cape Town 8001.
Iziko provides visitors the opportunity to delve into the history of the role of women in South Africa, as explored through the museum’s permanent and temporary exhibitions.
At the Iziko Slave Lodge, a space that has evolved from one of horror to gentle remembrance, and you can explore Under Cover of Darkness. Here, the lives of women in the service of the Cape Colony – specifically Krotoa, Susanna van Bengal and Zara van der Caab – are brought into light; where an investigation and interrogation into racial and gender hierarchies within the history of the Slave Lodge is made.
At the Iziko South African National Gallery, explore exhibitions such as Filling in the Gaps – an exhibition curated and created around ‘filling in the gaps’ of the National Gallery’s permanent collection. This exhibition features important historical acquisitions – addressing both neglected histories and works by cutting-edge artists, including Sethembile Msezane, Alexandra Karakashian and Thania Petersen – and reflects on recent developments in painting, sculpture, photography and installation.
Hidden Treasures, also up on exhibition at the Iziko South African National Gallery, comes as a rich display of many outstanding and rare objects from Iziko’s Permanent Collection of African Art. At the forefront of this exhibition is the innovative visual production of women artists who, across space and time, have produced exquisite and complex creations – from symbolic and sacred materials – to both protect and adorn their loved ones; and to earn an income.
* Free entry to the Iziko South African Museum, South African National Gallery, Bo-Kaap Museum, Iziko Slave Lodge, Iziko Koopmans-de Wet House, Rust en Vreugd and Maritime Centre.
*Free entry excludes: Planetarium and Digital Dome, Castle of Good Hope, Groot Constantia, and museums currently closed for repairs, restoration and renovations.
