Hundreds of Rhodes students converged at the Saints Bistro Wednesday 22 October to mark the annual 'My Body My Choice' campaign.
Hundreds of Rhodes students converged at the Saints Bistro Wednesday 22 October to mark the annual 'My Body My Choice' campaign.
The student event which seeks to raise awareness about the objectification of women's bodies and gender-based violence, was organised off campus for the first time in its nine-year existence.
According to the Rhodes Student Zone website the aim was to bridge the gap between on- and-off campus Rhodes community as the scourge affects everyone.
The event featured an exhibition of nude photos of Rhodes students with captions telling unique stories and condemning women violations. In another first, this year it included a few men.
Event organiser Emily Corke, who suffered from Anorexia, said the exhibition was about liberating bodies by breaking stereotypes.
"It was to sort off take off the pressure that lots of women are faced with because of the way the society puts perceptions on women," she said.
Corke said the turnout was overwhelming, which she attributed to the High Street venue.
"I was very happy about the turn out, and I think the location and the venue were perfect for this year's event because even passers-by would stop and enter," she said.
"We started at 6 pm and around 8.30 pm people were still packed inside."
One thing the organiser wasn't happy about was the low turnout of Rhodes staff.
"I was disappointed because I only noticed three staff members at that event and that is sad."
Although the exhibition has only focused on women in the past, Corke said the inclusion of men this year made the event special.
The campaign springs from the Silent Protest, an annual protest against sexual violence against women.
Both aim to raise awareness of the harmful effects of socially-constructed, gender-based norms, values, attitudes and beliefs.
Corke, whose photos were on exhibit, said she still struggles with an eating disorder.
"I took part to take back control of my body from Anorexia, to spread the word about its effects and to celebrate recovery and happiness," she said.
"This was my way of telling my story, of learning to love my body in the hope that it can help other people going through the same process."
"In the photos, I tried to break every misconception I have about myself.
It was my way of breaking through all the bad things that have been said about my body in the past by other people."
The event was sponsored by Rhodes University's Vice Chancellor's office, the Student Affairs Division, the Director of Equity and Institutional Culture, and the Dean of Humanities.
