George, 20 November: Gender Links kicks off the Sixteen Days of Activism 2024 by celebrating women who have reclaimed their lives and agency through the Sunrise Campaign, a unique programme to end violence through economic empowerment.
The colourful event in George, Eastern Cape takes place two days after the global Women’s Entrepreneurship Day (WED) celebrated annually on November 19. This day honours women entrepreneurs and their contributions to innovation, economic growth, and community building. WED was established to empower, support, and celebrate women in business worldwide.
Working in partnership with the Irene M. Staehelin (IMS) Foundation and local authorities, GL will host a Women’s Entrepreneurship Day as part of the ongoing Sunrise Campaign, a program dedicated to uplifting and empowering women survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) through life skills training and entrepreneurship development.
The Sunrise Campaign equips women with the confidence and tools they need to reclaim their lives and build sustainable futures. As part of the campaign, 20 emerging women entrepreneurs, all GBV survivors, were profiled and shared their inspiring life stories on the Gender Links website. These narratives stand as powerful testimonies of resilience, courage, and transformation.
The Entrepreneurship Day will serve as a platform to:
- Celebrate the achievements of these emerging entrepreneurs.
- Showcase their entrepreneurial ventures and growth.
- Inspire more women to embrace economic empowerment as a pathway to independence.
According to programme facilitator Naledi Masipa, “this initiative is about more than business; it’s about celebrating the strength and potential of women who have faced immense challenges but refuse to let their circumstances define them.”
Participants from George and Knysna will have the unique opportunity to interact with the IMS Board, the primary funder of this initiative. This interaction will allow the participants to share their journeys, highlighting the skills they’ve gained and the confidence they’ve built through the program.
The women will also showcase their business products, giving the IMS Board and other stakeholders a first-hand look at their entrepreneurial accomplishments. The day will also feature networking opportunities and motivational talks by entrepreneurs.
Gender Focal Persons from Municipalities collaborating with Gender Links will also participate in the event, strengthening partnerships and fostering support for gender empowerment at local government level.
IMS has been instrumental in supporting this initiative, providing the resources to ensure these women can access not only training but also opportunities to develop sustainable businesses. The program emphasizes economic empowerment as a cornerstone for breaking the cycle of GBV and enabling survivors to reclaim agency over their lives.
South Africa is the only country in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) whose National Strategy on GBV and Femicide includes a stand-alone pillar on Economic Power to end GBV. “This is a result of years of advocacy, based on the testimonials of survivors of GBV who remain in abusive relations due to lack of economic alternatives,” noted GL Special Advisor Colleen Lowe Morna.
Gender Links remains committed to supporting these entrepreneurs while making the policy case for long term, sustainable solutions to ending GBV.
(For more information on the nexus between GBV and economic justice, refer to our policy brief here. For more information on the Sunrise campaign, refer to our latest pamphlet. Please direct ant questions to Naledi Masipa – Programme Associate, GL South Africa, SAmanager@genderlinks.org.za or phone 082 371 6532)