Jeppe High School for Girls marks GBV awareness with ribbon tribute
Learners, teachers and staff at Jeppe High School for Girls paid tribute to victims and survivors of gender-based violence through a symbolic school-wide initiative.
Jeppe High School for Girls united its school community in a powerful show of remembrance, solidarity and hope as learners and staff stood alongside women and girls affected by gender-based violence (GBV) on September 18.
Learners were encouraged to wear black, turning the school into a visual symbol of mourning and solidarity.
The colour represented those who have lost their lives to gender-based violence, survivors who continue to live with its effects and the collective call for meaningful change in South Africa. Learners, teachers, administrative staff and ground staff came together to pay silent tribute to victims of GBV.
ALSO READ: Edenvale GBV activist earns national award nomination
Members of the school community were invited to tie a purple ribbon to the school’s main gate facing Roberts Avenue.
As each ribbon was added, the gate became a public memorial and a visible statement of solidarity.
Purple, a colour commonly associated with campaigns against gender-based violence and violence against women, symbolised dignity, remembrance and solidarity.
Headmistress Sybill Bhagwan said the ribbons will remain on the gate as a reminder to those passing the school that the Jeppe community stands with victims, survivors and families affected by GBV, while calling for a safer South Africa.
For a girls’ school, the initiative was particularly significant.
“Educating young women extends beyond academic achievement and includes nurturing future leaders who understand their worth, respect the dignity of others, recognise injustice and have the courage to speak out when silence allows harm to continue,” said Bhagwan.
ALSO READ: SAPS urges communities to take collective action against GBV
With gender-based violence continuing to be a major concern in South Africa, the school’s message went beyond awareness. It was a call for urgency, accountability, justice, compassion and action from individuals, families, schools, institutions and communities.
The headmistress said the purple ribbons on Roberts Avenue will carry that message beyond the school grounds, with each ribbon representing a moment when someone stopped to remember victims and stand in solidarity with those affected.
The initiative brought together different generations and members of the Jeppe community around a shared message: women and girls deserve to live safely, freely and with dignity.
