A grassroots feminist organisation will Saturday celebrate women’s contribution to society at an event in Kigali on the eve of the International Womens Day (IWD), due Sunday. International Womens Day is marked every March 8 worldwide and this years edition will be held under the theme, I am Generation Equality: Realising Womens Rights. Celebrate womens achievements Sistah Circle Collective says the event will serve as an occasion to celebrate Rwandan women’s contribution toward shaping the country’s history through storytelling, music, dance, poetry, paint, among others. International Womens Day is marked every March 8 worldwide and this years edition will be held under the theme, I am Generation Equality: Realising Womens Rights. “We are doing this to make feminism more accessible and understandable and practical and to bridge the generational gap in terms of understanding what feminists do and why it’s necessary,” the collective says. The event will be held from 4:30p.m-8:30p.m, at Discover Rwanda in Kimihurura. The event, which will run under the theme, “Situating Women in Rwandan History and Transformation”, will include a panel discussion and performances. A series of performances including poems, songs, short plays, traditional dances, igitaramo, playing inanga are on the menu. “Gutarama is an essential part of passing on knowledge, celebrating one another and forming strong community,” organisers said. They noted that making the event revolve around art is informed by the fact that they value “all forms of knowledge production and knowledge sharing”, adding that they want to highlight how the creative arts and oral traditions have helped keep culture alive, and “instill in us passion and have something to give for the future.” The event will help people recognise the power and contributions women are making across multiple fields and see themselves as part of the challenge of ensuring that the histories of women are not erased or silenced but rather amplified and women given the chance to explore and be, the organisers said. Although the event is centred around women, men are welcome as well. “While men are welcome, we love to remind ourselves that the space is created by and for women and centres on them. So the people coming in are aware of the purpose and energy put into curating the space and that those it is intended for, are actually served,” the collective added.
