Hashtag campaign addresses injustice

AS CELEBRATIONS for Women’s Month kick off, a group of East London women have chosen to commemorate the month differently – by using the spoken word to affirm the importance of a woman’s life.

#WhoAmIToMen is the brainchild of local gospel musician Justine Wildeman, who said the hashtag was birthed from witnessing the injustices that have happened against women.

In May, Wildeman penned a poem with the same title. The poem questions the role of a woman in a man’s life.

Part of the poem says: “I am your child, I am your mother, I am your wife, mother of your children, without me there is no you. You kill me, you kill you. You abuse me, you abuse you. You rape me, you rape you. Without me there is no you.”

Earlier this week, the group had a video shoot at River Life Church where women of different ages recited the poem on camera.

Speaking with the Dispatch, Wildeman said the poem was inspired by the recent killing of three-year-old Jade Veldman in May.

“Her death inspired me to write the poem questioning why men subject us to this horror.

“As women who have been affected by abuse in different ways, we are standing up against social ills. We decided to involve our girl children as they are equally affected.

“We are using photography and video shoots to draw attention to a campaign which is a hashtag that is self-explanatory. We are asking men who we are to them that they should harm us like this.”

She said they chose social media to voice their frustrations about the killings of women and children as it provided them with a global platform. — nonsindisoq@dispatch.