WELEAD Trust and Canadian Embassy Collaborate to Combat Gender-Based Violence through Art
By Staff Reporter
In a bid to raise awareness against gender-based violence (GBV) during the 16 Days of Activism, the youth leadership development and advocacy group, WELEAD Trust, collaborated with the Canadian Embassy in Zimbabwe to host a unique “sip and paint” event.
The event brought together young people who utilized artistic expressions as a powerful tool in the fight against GBV.
The event, graced by the presence of the Canadian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Adler Aristilde, aimed to foster discussions on the impact of GBV on young women and explore collaborative efforts to address this pervasive issue.
Karen Manzera, Information Advocacy Officer at WELEAD Trust, explained the rationale behind hosting the sip and paint event.
“As WELEAD Trust, we decided to host this event because we believe that young people bring different innovations and artistic ways to combat gender-based violence. We engaged in a discussion with the Canadian Ambassador to Zimbabwe to explore how stakeholders can contribute to the fight against GBV. We chose art as a medium because we believe that young people can express themselves in various artistic ways, contributing to the fight against GBV,” said Manzera
Ambassador Aristilde highlighted the importance of finding diverse ways to express oneself in the fight against gender-based violence.
“There have been many awareness-raising activities across the country against gender-based violence, but we still need more activism, more voices, and more events. Sexual violence is prevalent in Zimbabwe, and it will take all our collective efforts to bring it to an end. We need to find innovative ways to express ourselves in the fight against gender-based violence,” said Ambassador Aristilde
The sip and paint event not only provided a space for artistic expression but also facilitated meaningful conversations and collaborations between the young people and the Ambassador.
