HOLAAfrica!

AN explosion of glitter and sparkles awaits visitors to the city on Saturday as two 20-somethings strive to make public spaces more accessible to women.

As part of the 100in1day Cape Town project, a global movement for citizen-driven city development and initiatives which encourages residents to engage in one of 100 initiatives around the city to improve their communities, Lindokuhle Nkosi and Khanyisile Mbongwa, working under the name Strangers than Fiction, are making public spaces less intimidating for women by decorating them with “girly” items, such as glitter, tinsel, ribbons and feathers.

Green Street, off Long Street, is one of the targeted areas, along with the area under Station Road in Observatory.

“We’re going to places where women feel intimidated, unsafe or uncomfortable,” Mbongwa, who is an honours student and artist, says.

“Public spaces define how we as private bodies feel, and often women’s bodies in public spaces are treated as public domain instead of private. They are always being invaded.”

The two women are unashamed about the extent of the “girliness” they will be introducing to the public spaces. “Violence against women is not seen as needing an urgent response,” Mbongwa says.

“But we see it as an extreme thing. That’s why we’ve created such an extreme response.”

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