Voices of Women Museum, Durban

This fascinating, living archival Museum holds within its walls some 3 000 embroidered cloths and personal stories from women who have lived around South Africa. The Museum offers some interesting events, programs and archives for the learned – or simply those who are interested – to immerse themselves in.

Many indigenous languages (translated into English) are represented here as the memory of these varied, diverse women is kept alive and well. The Voices of Women is a decade-long project that began as the brainchild of Andries Botha who, after attending the Truth and Reconciliation hearings in South Africa. He developed a creative methodology as a means for women’s memory to be recounted and held in trust as part of the memory archive of South Africa for future posterity. The Project has worked closely with many key stakeholders and partners and has run many workshops in different Provinces throughout South Africa over this past Decade. To culminate this substantial work done by among others; Janine Zagel; Leonard Zulu; Tholakele Mdakane; Mrs. Gumbushe and Martha Webber. This then gave their work a permanent home. The Amazwi Abesifazane – Voices of Women project has established South Africa’s first Women’s Museum or Living Archive in KwaZulu Natal. The Voices of Women Archive and Collection is currently housed at the Phansi Museum in Glenwood, Durban. It has graciously been afforded a space at Stoneford, in the beautiful Valley of a Thousand Hills. We hope to occupy this temporary space within this Year and later to develop its more permanent residence at the site.