FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE05 August 2020
The Gauteng Film Commission (GFC)
today launches the month-long Women’s month 2020 programme. The programme will
mostly showcase the work and efforts of women in the film and television sector
in Gauteng, using virtual platforms across popular social media channels from
the 10th till the 31st of August 2020.
The programme is being launched
during a very difficult period, when the country is under a restricted lockdown
due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. In South Africa, we have witnessed the
difficult circumstances and challenges faced particularly by women – the
gender-based violence as well as food insecurity among other realities. Under
the theme "Generation Equality: Realising women's rights for an equal
society now” the South African government has highlighted this year’s focus for
Women's Month as gender-based violence and discrimination, the advancement of
the rights of women and girls in the political, economic, social and cultural
spheres of life.
South Africa commemorates Women's
Month in August as a tribute to the more than 20 000 women who marched to the
Union Buildings on 9 August 1956, in protest of the extension of Pass Laws to
women. It is following on this premise that the GFC has brought in partners to
commemorate Women’s month this year. The programme will explore issues faced by
women in the industry, and solutions will be discussed in virtual activities,
delivered mostly by women, namely a virtual roundtable series, women
empowerment lecture with City Varsity and an Online Women Film Festival.
“Reflecting on how women came
together in 1956 to fight an unjust system, we have also brought in a variety
of stakeholders to work with in executing this programme. We have partnered
with City Varsity who will run the virtual empowerment masterclasses delivered
by women lecturers, we also have Netflix onboard, a global media company that
has made available relief to the distressed industry – they are providing a once
off, short-term emergency relief grant to below-the-line workers who are
usually hired on a freelance basis, are paid hourly wages and currently have
most of their work put on hold” said GFC’s Desmond Mthembu.
The programme has pulled more
than 30 film and TV industry practitioners and will engage on issues ranging
from sexual harassment in the sector, diversity, decolonising spaces to women
empowerment. All activities will be virtual and will be delivered through the
GFC’s social media platforms.
WATCH ONLINE ON YOUTUBE @youtube.com/c/GautengFilmCommissionTV
