04/09/2025
“Breaking silences, reimagining sexual justice through art and storytelling.”
The GIFT team is honoured to mark World Sexual Health Day 2025—which in the words of Lynn Barkley (Chair of the World Sexual Health Day Committee within the World Association for Sexual Health) is “more than a day, but a movement.”
This week at UCT, we hosted Stories from the Edge, an exhibition that brought together young women, artists, and scientists to weave art and storytelling as tools to reflect on sexual and reproductive health in South Africa.
“These artworks give voice to what many of these young women have lived but could not name.” – Adijat Jimoh, PhD candidate, UCT.
The exhibition, led by artist and science communicator Felicity Hartley, has shown us the power of creative spaces to speak the unspeakable. Through painting and weaving, young women shared their experiences of growing into adulthood, negotiating relationships, and finding their way in health services. As one participant said: “Words are too small.”
This year’s theme, Sexual Justice, challenges us to think about fairness and equity in how sexual health is researched, represented, and realised in our communities. More than just art on the walls, this exhibition is a tribute to young women’s voices—and a call for us, as researchers, educators, clinicians, and communities, to listen and respond with empathy and courage.
💜 Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating these voices, and to Felicity for weaving art and science together into a movement for justice, dignity, and care.
Thank you to our partners
University of Cape Town London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Utrecht University Institut Pasteur de Madagascar Desmond Tutu Health Foundation Burnet Institute SA Medical Research Council
