Malibongwe Arts Festival Foundation Joins National Efforts To Rewrite The Script on GBVF
The Malibongwe Arts Festival Foundation has affirmed its commitment to advancing gender justice and cultural transformation through its participation in the 2025 launch of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children. Held on 25 and 26 November, the national GBVF Prevention Summit marked the beginning of a countrywide mobilization that continues from now until 10 December, calling on every sector of society to take collective action against gender-based violence and femicide.
This year’s summit centered on the theme Rewriting the Script: Harnessing Film, Arts and Media to Prevent GBVF, a message that aligns deeply with the Foundation’s mandate to empower women in the creative industries and strengthen the role of arts in reshaping social narratives. The programme brought together government leaders, activists, researchers, and cultural practitioners to interrogate the influence of storytelling, content creation and media representation on attitudes towards gender, power, safety and consent.
Panel members | SUPPLIED
Representing the Foundation was its Chair, Dr Criselda Kananda, who served as moderator for the session spotlighting the lived experiences of women in film, entertainment, media and television. The panel featured distinguished contributors including Sibongile Mngoma, Lerato Mokoka, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Dumi Le Roux, Lala Tuku and Advocate Nakedi Ribane — all of whom reflected on the structural barriers, biases and opportunities within the creative sector, as documented in the summit’s official programme.
Dr Kananda’s leadership at the summit continues her broader mission, through the Malibongwe Arts Festival Foundation, to create safe, equitable and enabling environments for women working in film, arts and culture. Established to advance economic and social empowerment, mentorship, and visibility for women creatives, the Foundation champions the importance of representation, agency and community as tools for long-term prevention of GBVF.
“Boys and girls absorb patriarchal norms early through homes, schools, faith spaces, peers and the content they consume daily. By adulthood, many of these patterns are already deeply rooted. This is the crisis we face: high levels of violence, powerful structural drivers like alcohol and inequality, and a cultural environment – including parts of our media and advertising space.” – Sindisiwe Chikunga: Minister of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities.
Dr Criselda Kananda | SUPPLIED
Entering the 16 Days of Activism period, the Foundation will amplify its advocacy through community dialogues, arts-driven campaigns and ongoing support for cultural workers whose perspectives are vital to transforming harmful norms. The Foundation maintains that the arts are not only a mirror to society but a catalyst for healing, accountability and new possibilities, and that meaningful progress requires centering the voices of women who shape the country’s cultural identity.
As the nation reflects on its responsibilities during this global campaign, the Malibongwe Arts Festival Foundation stands committed to driving a creative-sector movement that protects women and children, honours their stories and builds a future free from violence.