The Impilo Collection Foundation launched its EmpowerHer: 8 849 Bras for Humanity National Exhibition at Constitution Hill on November 26, unveiling a striking installation aimed at drawing national attention to South Africa’s gender-based violence (GBV) crisis.

The exhibition features 8 849 bras, each representing a metre of Mount Everest. The concept was inspired by foundation founder Angela Yeung, who earlier this year became one of the few South African women to summit the mountain. She carried a single bra to the peak, a promise made to a young girl who once asked her, “Please bring me a bra next time.”

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Yeung said the installation was intended to honour survivors and demand change. “These bras are not decorations, they are testimonies,” she said. “We are standing up, speaking up and refusing to be silenced.”

The launch comes as South Africa continues to battle alarming levels of GBV. Research shows that one in three women will experience violence in their lifetime, while an estimated 2 700 women are killed every year. Speakers during the event described the situation as a national emergency requiring immediate and collective action.

The launch, held during the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, included a panel discussion featuring survivors, professionals and community leaders.

They spoke openly about the long-lasting effects of trauma, the importance of forgiveness in healing, and the critical need for communities to recognise all forms of abuse: physical, emotional, psychological and economic.

Also read: Locals get behind GBV shutdown

Ward 57 councillor Faeeza Chame, who works closely with inner-city GBV activists, shared how deeply the foundation’s work had touched her constituency. “My community is very poor, and nobody ever thinks of giving them something as basic as dignity,” she said.

“When the foundation handed out bras, it was the first time many felt truly seen.”

Chame also spoke about her years-long fight to ensure violent offenders were held accountable, stressing that justice must be prioritised, not postponed.

Since its formation during the Covid-19 lockdown, the foundation has delivered sanitary pads, dignity items, school uniforms and essential support programmes to more than 100 000 people nationwide.

The 8 849 Bras for Humanity installation will remain on display at Constitution Hill until 10 December, offering the public a space to reflect, pay tribute to survivors and recommit to ending GBV in South Africa.

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