South Africa: Using Feminist Political Education and Art to Build Inclusive GBVF Responses
Siqubeka Ukwakha demonstrates how inclusive feminist political education and art can transform leadership, healing and advocacy for LGBTIQ+ survivors—centring trans women in the fight against GBVF.
South Africa continues to face high levels of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. Many interventions fail to recognise the realities of trans women and LGBTIQ+ survivors who are excluded from prevention, protection and healing spaces. Siqhubeka Ukwakha, led by the One in Nine Campaign, integrates inclusive feminist political education, collective healing and advocacy to strengthen community-led responses.
The project intentionally included trans women as participants and leaders. Thabsie Mabezane, a Black trans woman and resident of Lebo Basadi Transitional Home, demonstrated the transformative impact of inclusive organising. She participated in workshops on Gender, Sexuality and Power, shaped by the WOSSO advocacy plan. These sessions deepened her understanding of intersectionality, exclusion and leadership.
Through healing circles and storytelling, she processed trauma linked to displacement and transphobia. She then used her experiences to advocate for inclusive shelter policies and improved support for LGBTIQ+ survivors. Art-based activities further amplified her voice beyond formal policy spaces.
The One in Nine Campaign provided leadership structures that enabled Thabsie to grow into a facilitator, mentor and community advocate. Her leadership inspired peers such as Kamogelo Mokobe, creating ripple effects of solidarity and activism. She gained recognition locally and regionally and contributed to strengthening alliances across feminist and queer movements.
This change is significant because it demonstrates the necessity of survivor-led advocacy and intersectional feminist education. It validates the advocacy plan to build inclusive responses to GBVF and highlights the systemic exclusion faced by trans survivors. The project model shows how organisations can embed inclusive practice into long-term strategies and influence shelter policies and GBVF responses.
Sustainability is supported through leadership continuity, mentorship, embedding inclusive frameworks into organisational practice, strengthening networks and documenting lessons learned. The project offers a scalable model for feminist organising led by marginalised survivors and provides insight for national and regional GBVF strategies.
Quotes:
Thabsie Mabezane - Before I joined Siqhubeka Ukwakha, I felt invisible in spaces that claimed to fight GBVF. Now, I stand as a leader, mentoring others and advocating for inclusive shelters.
Boitumelo Tefo - Thabsie’s growth exemplifies the power of inclusive feminist political education and survivor-led advocacy.
Kamogelo Mokobe - Her leadership showed me that inclusive leadership and collective healing can transform entire communities.
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