Bontle Moka
Nominee's Province:
Kwazulu-natal
Age:
31
Project Name/Description:
“Sometimes being called a warrior can be frustrating, because there is an expectation to be strong and endure what is not normal and not okay. Pain becomes something we are expected to carry silently, simply because we are women.” Bontle Moka has shouldered more than her fair share of pain. She is a survivor of sexual assault and has crippling physical pain as a result of living with Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and fibroids. But she refuses to let the physical pain also come with suffering. The graceful 31-year-old is speaking up for women in South Africa who are battling chronic monthly pain as a result of their menstrual cycles. “Many women are silently battling chronic illness alongside anxiety and depression, while still being expected to perform, produce, and endure. “My work focuses on bridging that silence with practical support, lived experience, and telling the truth.” A recent highlight of Bontle’s work was partnering with other women’s health advocates and having the Menstrual Health Rights Bill discussed in Parliament. In that bill, she advocates for the normalising of menstrual leave, amongst other amendments. “My life philosophy is, even when there is no cure, there can still be healing, wholeness, and purpose,” she says.
