With gender-based violence continuing to threaten the safety and well-being of women across South Africa, Vukile Property Fund (JSE: VKE) has taken bold action this Women’s Month by partnering with Action Breaks Silence. Through a series of transformative empowerment workshops held at Vukile’s retail centres, the collaboration has reached over 600 women, providing them with the tools for self-defence, personal growth, and resilience.
Creating safe spaces
Action Breaks Silence, an educational charity founded by Debi Steven, seeks to end violence against women and girls. With personal experience as a survivor, Steven’s mission is to equip women with the skills to protect themselves, and the organisation has already reached over 65,000 women globally. “We believe in engaging all people of the community, looking through an empathetic lens and bringing men and boys as part of the solution,” says Steven. “This partnership with Vukile has allowed us to bring our empowerment workshops to communities nationwide.”
Empowerment across retail centres
Throughout August, Vukile’s retail centres in Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town hosted the transformative Action Breaks Silence workshops. Women gathered to participate in empowering sessions in areas such as Dobsonville, KwaMashu, Phoenix, Gugulethu, and Atlantis. Led by trained professionals, they learned self-defence techniques and were encouraged to embrace their inner and outer strength.
Impactful partnership
Marijke Coetzee, Director of Marketing and Communications at Vukile, explains how the extended partnership came about, “Following our first workshop with Action Breaks Silence, it became clear that this initiative needed to reach beyond our organisation. And if we want women to be safe, we need to go deeper than just the physical aspect. The workshops begin by asking questions like, ‘Who are we, and what do we stand for?’ Knowing your boundaries helps to build the foundation of true empowerment.”
National reach
In addition to the in-person workshops, Action Breaks Silence’s message received national media attention through radio and print platforms, amplifying the initiative’s reach. “The workshops sponsored by Vukile have been so enlightening. While the women engaged in the physical side of the training, which was phenomenal, the overwhelming feedback has been that they gained so much insight into their core values and personal boundaries,” said Steven during an interview. “Learning how to identify early signs of harmful behaviour and reacting before things escalate was another key learning for our participants.”
Meaningful change
The Action Breaks Silence collaboration is part of Vukile’s commitment to driving transformation and empowering women across all sectors. The company’s focus on community upliftment also includes initiatives like the Vukile Academy’s Internship and Retailer Development Programmes, which continue to provide opportunities for growth, leadership, and empowerment.
Building communities, growing value
“We have 220 million shopper visits across South Africa and Spain a year, and Vukile plans to continue our vital community work. In South Africa, we’ll expand our efforts to provide ongoing support for women’s empowerment across our retail centres. We are committed to creating safe, inclusive spaces for women, which aligns with our mission to build thriving communities and drive sustainable value,” concludes Coetzee.