Times Of Swaziland: WOMEN JOIN HANDS TO HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD

WOMEN JOIN HANDS TO HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD
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BY NTOMBI MHLONGO on 10/03/2014 22:03:00


LOBAMBA – Swazi women came together on Saturday for the opening of the Livi
LaBomake Women’s Voices Art Exhibition.
In celebration of the global International Women’s Day, the women not only
showcased their works of art but also entertained the guests with different
poems and performances which focused on how they want to be respected.
The US Embassy representative Ruth James addressed the women and thanked Yebo!
ArtReach’s Aleta Armstrong for her vision and commitment in developing not
only women and art but for making the project possible.
“Violence against women is not limited to Swaziland but is a worldwide
phenomenon. Although statistics on the prevalence of violence vary, the scale is
tremendous, the scope is vast and the consequences for individuals, families,
communities and countries are devastation,” James said.
She mentioned that the embassy was dedicated to supporting initiatives which
provide women with financial literacy and basic business training.
“Research has shown that women invest the majority of their income back into
their families and communities, so these activities not only help make women
less vulnerable to HIV but they also promote development at all levels,” she
highlighted.
Making the project more valuable and interesting is the fact that the women who
did the paintings were picked from the four regions of the country and most of
them were painting for the first time.
Below is the schedule for the exhibition;
*   March 8-18 - Umsamo, Swaziland
National Museum, Lobamba
*   March 21-26 - Siteki Public Library
*   March 27 - April 2- Mayiwane Free Evangelical Assembly Church
*   April 3-14- Mbabane Public Library,  Exhibition Place