Cape Town: The City programme helps women affected by Gender Based Violence (GBV) heal through art. The programme, titled ‘She Paves Her Path’, is an art-based workshop designed to empower and educate women affected by gender-based violence.
Women affected by gender-based violence are finding healing, confidence and community through a City-run arts programme designed to create safe spaces for reflection, recovery and support.
Since August 2025, 65 participants have attended workshops through She Paves Her Path, an initiative led by the City’s Arts and Culture Development Branch and a qualified psychologist.
The most recent intervention was held at the Durbanville Rose Garden, with participants from Delft and Eerste River. Participants are GBV survivors and individuals working with GBV survivors.
The programme comprises discussions and interactive arts-based activities like the ‘river of life’ and grounding exercises to help achieve its objectives, which are to:
- empower, educate, create awareness and plan for change through art.
- create a safe space where women affected by GBV can have an opportunity to share their experiences, exhale and learn from each other.
- broaden participants’ understanding of GBV, what it entails, the root causes, the psychological dynamics involved, the cycle of violence, how to break free and a plan for the future through change.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Services and Health – Councillor Francine Higham stated that the gender-based violence leaves deep emotional scars, and recovery looks different for every person. What makes this programme special is that it creates a safe and supportive space where women can connect and begin rebuilding confidence through creativity.
Art offers a creative outlet that holds benefits for the physical and mental well-being but also allows them to express complex emotions that they aren’t necessarily able to verbalise. The workshops also provide a safe space for shared experiences and new bonds.
Participants shared that the workshop helped them in better understand and identify patterns of abuse, particularly the cycle of violence, while also creating a safe space to share their experiences without judgement. One participant reflected: ‘I didn’t realise I was in a cycle of abuse until today. This workshop gave me knowledge and helped me see things differently.’
Another participant noted: ‘It equipped me with the knowledge to identify gender-based violence and gave me the confidence to educate others in my home and community.’
The programme was first introduced on Women’s Day in 2024. Participants are identified by organisations that work with GBV survivors, the Community Arts and Culture Development Department and ward councillors.