Real queens fix each other’s crowns: The Crown and Queens Peer-to-Peer Talk

 By: Nosipho Mnyandu

August is widely recognised as a GBV month, with different campaigns and initiatives held to raise awareness. At the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Polokwane campus, a young women’s dialogue namely Crown and Queens Peer-to-Peer Talk took place on August 13th. This dialogue, hosted by the Student Governance and Leadership Development (SGLD) presented lessons for young women on maintaining a good mental health and combating Gender Based Violence (GBV) on- and off-campus.

Image by: Nosipho Mnyandu

Kicking things off with some health lessons, Polokwane’s professional nurse Sophy Mantloana showcased a way that girls can self-regulate for breast cancer checking. She and a fellow peer educator demonstrated to students, sharing how this can help them treat it while it is still early. “By placing one hand to the back of your head and laying on a flat surface, you can be able to check your breast with your other hand. As soon as you feel a lump, that is your sign to consult with a professional as this is the most common breast cancer symptom,” she shared. This encouraged students to look out for themselves, realising how important health self-awareness is.

Madipere Anokwuru
Image by: Nosipho Mnyandu
Madipere Anokwuru, the psychologist at campus urged women to speak up against Gender Based Violence (GBV), emphasising that speaking out helps break the chain. In participation, a student raised a question of how to help others speak out when they feel that they can not do it for themselves or if they do not realize the dangers in the space they are faced in. “While it is important to note that you cannot make decisions for them, it is important to be there for them and support them during those difficult moments,” she explained.

Closing off this women's celebration saw all the ladies come together in peace and harmony, dancing and empowering one another, gladly standing together in saying “You strike a woman, you strike a rock.”

Sophy Mantloana, campus clinic nurse
Image by: Nosipho Mnyandu



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