The Soul City Institute Launches its Annual Report
This set the tone for the rest of the year, where we rolled out a feminist strategy stronger than ever before. As an organisation, we are dedicated to catalysing young feminist movements for social change, hence our theme for the year was: “The Year of Advancing the Feminist Agenda”. The financial year has been rooted in intersectionality and interconnections, helping us to align with the strategic vision of the organisation, which includes dismantling patriarchy, strengthening capacity and amplifying young womxn’s voices, feminist movement building and strategic collaboration.
At this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), we will be joined by various stakeholders as we unpack the tireless work outlined in our annual report. This report provides an overview of our achievements, challenges, and future goals in our journey towards a more just and equitable society in the 2022/23 financial year.
“As we reflect on the past year’s achievements, including the first anniversary of the Feminist Leadership and Activism Centre (FLAC), we are energised by the progress we have made in advancing social justice. Our commitment to this cause remains resolute despite challenges and we look forward to working hand in hand with all stakeholders to build a more equitable future.” Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, chairperson of our board.
On 1 August 2022, we launched the FLAC, SCI’s emerging feminist leaders’ programme. This is a 24-month pilot fellowship programme aimed at the next generation of feminist leaders who wish to embark on a learning journey that cultivates their feminist activism. Twenty carefully selected fellows from all 9 provinces have been participating in a hybrid format of learning, consisting of in-person residential sessions and online workshops, honing their leadership skills and providing them with tools and strategies to disrupt and transform multiple levels of oppression in their communities.
We are proud to report on our participation in a series of campaigns and webinars, in collaboration with leading partners in the sector, where we engaged our target audiences on the various issues they face. One such collaboration was a circumcision campaign with UNFPA South Africa, the success of which we did not anticipate.
We also took part in the End Period Poverty March in Pretoria, where we joined forces with activists and civil society organisations, demanding an end to period poverty. Together, we delivered a memorandum to the Department of Women, Children, and People Living with Disabilities, urging immediate action towards ending the issue of period poverty that has plagued our communities for far too long.
Moreover, our appointment as one of the four intermediaries by the GBVF Response Fund to resource and build the capacity of organisations providing GBVF services at a community level enabled us to implement Pillars 2 and 3 of the GBVF NSP with 25 organisations in selected regions of Kwa-Zulu Natal and the North West Province.
The Soul City Institute is a global pioneer in using mass media as a tool for edutainment and social change. As the funding landscape has changed, we have found ourselves using digital media to do the same type of advocacy on an even larger scale. Overall, the Soul City Institute’s social media reach is over 13 million users with more than 14 million impressions throughout the financial year.
Our Kgalemelang: From Awareness to Accountability campaign continued last year during the 16 Days of Activism, and this year will be no different. Following this AGM, the SCI team will roll up their sleeves in preparation for this year’s leg of the campaign, focusing specifically on the prevention of teenage pregnancy and the different forms of violations linked to the scourge.
“I would like to thank the Soul City team for their hard work and for ensuring that our feminist organising, and consciousness remain rooted in social behaviour change. I am deeply grateful to all those who supported and partnered with us — our board members, funders, the people and institutions we worked with that recognise that individual change is linked to change in other domains such as community support and effective health care delivery systems,” Phinah Kodisang, CEO.
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disruptingpatriarchy@soulcity.org.za
