In October 2008-January 2009 FEW, POWA, Sonke Gender Justice and Men as Partners were part of the Art as Advocacy project.

ART as ADVOCACY is a project of the Curriculum Development Project (CDP) that is supported by FOKUS (Forum for Women and Development) a resource centre on international women's issues and a co-ordinating organ for women's organisations in Norway.

CDP initiated ART as ADVOCACY project in 2008 and this project developed as a direct response to the expressed needs of women participants in a sequence of CDP projects offered since 2004.

During the project we did different activities like the Tsogang Basadi course (Women Wake up!) which initially focused on providing women survivors of violence with safe, creative spaces to give testimony and share their experiences through the arts.

 We created body maps and used creative writing express our personal stories and experiences. Pinky Zulu and Nomvula Mnisi said “the body maps exercise facilitated their healing processes” 

One of the valuable skills that we’ve learnt at the Art as Advocacy is silk screening and development of advocacy massages. We start the process by developing our own messages and then you design your art work and the last step is when we print t-shirts and posters.

Phindi Malaza, FEW’s Programmes coordinator is thrilled that now FEW has the skills to produce their own media material and she also believes that in the future we will be able to print media material for other organizations. We are encouraged by the positive feedback we have received so far, people like the colors, designs and the political messages.

By end of June 2010 the t-shirts created by Chosen FEW and Leadership participants will be available at affordable prices.