16 DAYS OF POETRY
In 2019, the collective brought together 16 female poets to create a series of poetry videos for the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. What resulted was a deep discussion on sexual assault and all its nuances, the building of a sisterhood and further realisation that art has the power to uncover what is hidden and heal what is hurt.
Day 1: This Violence by Alinafe Malonje
Tags: Poetry, 16 Days
We often think of sexual assault as violence perpetrated by strangers in dark alleys, but sexual violence comes in many forms. In ‘This Violence’ Alinafe writes about the dangers of placing the responsibility of assault on the victims
Day 2: Rapists Don’t Exist by Maclean Mbepula
Tags: Poetry, 16 Days
Maclean Mbepula writes ‘Rapists don’t Exist’. Exploring the haunting almost otherworldly nature of sexual assault. How it always seems to be happening somewhere else, no-one wants to talk about how it happens here too.
Day 3: All the Women in Me by Tamiwe Kathumba
Tags: Poetry, 16 Days
Tamiwe Kathumba speaks out loud the question that many women find asking themselves. She manages to encapsulate all the many feelings and all the complexity that comes with being a woman in a time when women are being hunted
Day 4: Lamulo by Monica Machado
Tags: Poetry, 16 Days
Lamulo’ reaffirms the beauty in being your own sovereign self. She speaks of the power and history that lies in a woman’s body alone. Monica speaks of strength in the face of a violence that tries to steal all you have made of yourself from you
Day 5: Colours by Wendy Hara
Wendy Hara uses vivid imagery to portray the mix of emotions at play when a woman is sexually assaulted. She touches on the nuanceby calling it a “Pain masquerading as pleasure”. Higlighting how survivors often doubt the validity of their pain.
Day 6: The Rapist by Dark Shadow
Dark Shadow takes us through a journey of pain, confusion and anger, she speaks on the importance of channeling these emotions back into fighting for the end of violence against women and girls.
Day 7: 'No Means No' by Edness Kenamu
Tags: Poetry, 16 Days
Poet Edness Kenamu makes use of more abstract poetry to implore us to listen and to take the word ‘No’ at face value, as a denial of consent. Her poem shows us all the feelings of doubt a victim goes through, doubting if they had used enough force in their denial and feeling shame and blame after the assault.
Day 8: 'Colours' by Mayeso Mazengera
Tags: Poetry, 16 Days
Mayeso Mazengera mixes a range of emotions to portray the confusing and traumatising nature of gender based violence. How it has ways of making happy things bleak, and taking colour from your life.
Day 9: 'History of Once Upon a Time' by Gome
Gome recounts the story of a child who’s grown up watching her mother be a victim of violence, how it was frequent but never became commonplace. The child grows up to also become a victim of violence and assault becomes a generational curse.
Day 10: 'Lost' by Breema
Poet Breema touches on the feelings of blame, guilt and helplessness a victim goes through when they’ve been assaulted by a family member, by someone that everyone adores.
Day 11: 'Why Didn't You Report?' by Jessica Mandanda
Writer and Poet Jessica Mandanda unpacks what people usually mean when they ask victims why they didn’t come forward, she speaks of the disbelief society has when they realise that one of them could be a rapist. Rape can often be a series of traumatisations, trauma from the assault and then trauma from a society that refuses to believe you.
Day 12: 'I am Scared' by Angali
Poet Angali’s poem ‘I am Scared’ explains what it is to live in fear. She puts fear on a page and brings it out in her spoken word, because living as a woman often means living in fear no matter where you are or which men you are around. It is constantly questioning the motives of the men in your space. Angali’s poem speaks to how phrases like ‘Not all men’ and ‘It is safe here’ feel more like gaslighting than comfort.
Day 13: 'Loaded' by SHARON
Sharon Kadangwe’s poem ‘Loaded’ explores all the thoughts and feelings that haunt victims of assault. The smells and sounds they cannot forget no matter how they try and the dread that comes with all these memories. Her poem implores victims to realise that the trauma of their experience does not need to define them that they can and will overcome. You can and you will overcome this.
Day 14: 'Death Numbers' by Phindu Zaie Banda
1 in 3 women experience violence in her lifetime, either physical or sexual. Phindu’s poem explores how haunting one statistic can be, how one statistic is more than a statistic to 1 in 3 women, it is an experience. Women live their lives waiting for the other shoe to drop, wondering if they will become that 1 in 3 and wondering which woman they know is already 1 in 3.
Day 15: 'Grey Spaces' by Singalilwe Chilemba
In her poem ‘Grey Spaces’ Singalilwe discusses the empty feeling that comes with realising that sexual assault can exist in the spaces that were meant to be safe. The spaces that we were meant to find love and pleasure end up being sites of pain and violence. These spaces are grey because even victims don’t know how to reconcile the assault with person. Singalilwe’s poem implores us to acknowledge this pain as well so that we may heal from it.
Day 16: 'Women' by Alinafe Malonje and Lerato Honde
Alinafe and Lerato collaborate on their poem, ‘Women’. The poem is an anthem, a praise song and an exhale from what has been a 16 days full of necessary tears and sadness. The poem touches on how refreshing solidarity amongst women can be and how liberated you feel as a woman when you realise that life is not one big competition amongst women and more on big collaboration.