1000Women

PRESS RELEASE by 1000Women “1000Women to honour Reeva’s memory The 1000Women1Voice luncheon hosted by the 1000 Women’s Trust in Durban will be a very special event this year, as it will be held in collaboration with the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation that was launched two months ago. The Foundation strives to continue Reeva’s work in educating and empowering women and children against violence and abuse. Steenkamp died during the early morning hours of Valentine’s Day in 2013, when she was killed by her boyfriend Oscar Pistorius in his Pretoria home. He was sentenced to six years imprisonment for her murder in July this year. The aim of the 1000 Women’s Trust is to create awareness of the impact of violence on women and children. The idea for the Trust was born out of a meeting between women’s rights activist Tina Thiart and businesswoman Wendy Ackerman in 2003. “We discussed the various ways we know of that communities have used to unite women and at the same time mobilise valuable funds to invest in grassroots women’s initiative,” Thiart explains. With the assistance from Women’s Hope Education and Training Trust they were able to host their first event in 2004 in Cape Town where they managed to mobilise 1000 women to unite against domestic violence. Since then the 1000Women initiative has become so successful that two more events were added to the calendar – one in Johannesburg and one in Durban. Over the years the 1000 Women’s Trust has made donations to a wide variety of women’s organisations that support, raise awareness and provide opportunities for women and children affected by violence. Early in October R200 000 was donated to Anex (Activists networking against the exploitation of children) to renovate a house that will serve as a safe haven for young victims of abuse in the Karoo town of Murraysburg. This year the Durban 1000Women1Voice luncheon will be held at the Tsogo Sun in South Beach on 3 November, followed by the Johannesburg event on November 24. During the 1000Women luncheon in Durban Kim Martin, CEO of the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation and Reeva’s cousin, will talk about the work of the foundation and how the ‘Reeva Pack’ that each guest will receive serves as an educational tool to empower vulnerable women. “We are honoured that we have been chosen as the beneficiary of the 1000Women event in Durban. We’re extremely excited to fulfil our vision, to help educate and empower abused women and children,” says Kim. She will also introduce the Reeva Feather of Love necklace designed by the international jewellery designer Jenny Gault at the Durban event. Well-known legal expert Susan Abro will also share valuable insights with guests. As an attorney Susan has years of experience with issues relating to family law, women & children’s rights and empowerment. Women from different parts of the province are urged to add their voices to the fight against domestic violence and other forms of abuse by joining in the 1000Women1Voice campaign.”