Johannesburg – Carling Black Label’s #NoExcuse hosted an experiential launch for their “Bride Armour” campaign ahead of 16 days of activism at The Venue in Melrose Arch on Thursday.
The campaign has observed that 1 in 3 women experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at the hands of a man who vowed to love and protect them.
As a result, #NoExcuse urges men to make a new vow; a vow to love, protect, and never abuse.
“A vow is not something you do casually, it is something you have to continually live by,” said Medical Doctor and media personality, Dr. Musa Mthombeni.
The Bride Armour campaign will spotlight IPV.
The gown will be a symbolic representation of how a woman going into marriage needs to protect herself from her intimate partner.
#NoExcuse has partnered with the renowned avant-garde fashion designer, Suzaan Heyns, to create the bridal gown designed using data from cases of IPV shared by Lifeline (with the consent of the victims).
In a moving fashion film showcased at the launch event, viewers could hear the women narrate their experiences while scenic viewers of a bride preparing for a wedding, starkly contrasted by the graphic audio recordings of the women.
The event commenced with a showcase of men’s suit designs displayed on the runway, juxtaposed by a model wearing the BridEArmour gown. Heyns explained that from the bulletproof bodice to the fire-resistant train, every stitch, layer, and seam of the gown has been carefully placed to demonstrate the brutality experienced by women at the hands of their intimate partners.
The display was followed by two-panel discussions facilitated by Dr. Mthombeni.
The first panel consisted of a representative from Lifeline; Nomsa Papale who spoke about the organisation’s partnership with #NoExcuse. She further elaborated on how the stories from Lifeline used to curate one story and ultimately the Bride Armour gown.
Nicola Cooper who worked closely with Suzaan Heyns was also part of the panel to discuss the Bride Armour gown – a story of beauty and brutality.
The second panel consisted of influential couples; Lerato and Phetola Makhetha; Kabelo and Gail Mabalane as well as newlyweds, Dr. Musa, and his wife, Liesl Laurie-Mthombeni.
They all shared their thoughts on GBV and spoke about why they support the #NoExcuse movement.
“This is not a conversation we can have enough. We also need to create a room to have the conversation in our homes, for our children to hear it and not to only hear about it at certain events,” said Gail.
In agreement with Gail, Liesl further said, “it is a conversation that needs to go on as we age. If you know better, you do better”.
Lerato also weighed in, thereby saying that African families also need to create a safe space whereby brides are not scared to come back home after a failed marriage or an event of abuse, “no long-suffering”.
Father-A-Nation’s Craig Wilkinson was the final member of the panel, providing insight into the work #NoExcuse has been doing in communities. He said, “no boy is born an abuser”, thereby stating that it is possible to educate the masses and actually employ some change in society.
Carling Black Label Brand Director, Arné Rust said; “Our ultimate goal for this campaign is to re-write wedding vows to acknowledge the promise to never harm your partner – a commitment that all South Africans can make to oppose domestic violence. We are working with the Department of Home Affairs to see how they can get the vow changed to include this commitment that all South Africans can make when they get married to oppose gender-based violence.”
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