Advance Notice - Women's Day Service

Advance press notice

The Most Revd Dr. Thabo C Makgoba will be the preacher at a Women’s Day Service, under the auspices of the Gender Desk of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA).

The Service will be held at St Georges Cathedral Cape Town, starting at 10h00 with the theme - Embracing our Human Dignity.

The White Ribbon Campaign

At this occasion the White Ribbon Pledge Campaign will be launched officially within the Anglican Church in Southern Africa. This international campaign began in 1991, and forms part of the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, that starts on 25th November each year and runs through to 10th December. Violence and particularly gender-based violence in all its forms is an endemic reality of South African society, and calls everyone to ACTION. The White Ribbon Campaign aims to eradicate gender based violence.

Bishops of the Dioceses of Cape Town, False Bay and Saldanha Bay will be signing a pledge, which will be carried forward through each of their churches so that together all will pledge: “Not to commit, condone or remain silent about all forms of Gender-based violence”

The Revd Cheryl Bird, Coordinator of the Gender Desk for the whole Anglican Church in Southern Africa, described the plans for the day: “We will gather as the Old Diocese of Cape Town, from the new dioceses of False Bay, Saldanha Bay and Cape Town, to call to mind and to celebrate the achievements and struggles of the past and the present. On so many levels, we remember and celebrate “times past and present, things old and new, forming the foundation of our hope for the future.” This reminds us of the words we, as children of God, hear each year at the blessing of our Easter Candle, “Christ yesterday and today, the beginning and the end, Alpha and Omega; all times belong to him and all the ages, to him be glory and power through every age forever.

“The theme for Gender Desk; “Embracing our Human Dignity” has its genesis in the Vision for Mission and Ministry of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa: Anchored in the love of God, Committed to Christ’s mission, Transformed by the Holy Spirit

“Together we are given an opportunity to embrace our human dignity and to explore afresh what it means to be created and recreated in God’s image. “Today then, as we celebrate the historicity of this day, may our commitment be to ACT, and so to strengthen the foundation of hope and fulfilment for the present and for a people yet unborn.”

Issued by the Office of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town. Inquiries: the Revd Cheryl Bird, 021 469 760 or 083 707 0149