Isisele Senyathi Women's Hub
Ilitha Labantu established the Isisele Senyathi Women’s Hub on African Women’s History in Cape Town in 2022. It is South Africa's first public exhibition and educational hub dedicated to reviving, preserving and documenting the histories, knowledge and lived experiences of African women.
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Named after the isiXhosa expression meaning "a reservoir of knowledge", the Hub seeks to ensure that the voices, achievements and contributions of women, particularly those whose stories have been overlooked or forgotten, are recognised as an integral part of Africa's history and future.
The Hub celebrates women’s accomplishments and stories, particularly our unsung heroines, the history they made, and the communities they represent. The Hub further explores the lives and legacies of African women who have shaped and continue to shape the South African experience and uplifts the voices of indigenous women by promoting lifelong learning and intergenerational dialogue. It aims to keep women’s voices and victories alive by sharing their untold stories and ensuring they are part of our history.
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Since our establishment in 1989, Ilitha Labantu has served as a historical hub for women’s stories dedicated to ordinary women, leaders, visionaries and change makers who made history of today. Over the last half-century, scholars have brought more of their stories into the foreground. The Isisele Senyathi will continue and expand on this essential work as the nation’s first public exhibition and educational Hub dedicated to African women’s history. One of the flagship initiatives of the Isisele Senyathi Women's Hub is the Our Stories, Our Voices anthology series, which creates a platform for women to tell their stories in their own words.
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We believe that now is the time for Ilitha Labantu to fully realize its mission to preserve African women’s past, share our country’s and continents’ stories and connect people with history in meaningful ways - for today and for tomorrow, because history matters.
Our Activities
Isisele Senyathi is a space for preserving and sharing women’s stories, restoring historical memory and celebrating African indigenous knowledge. Through storytelling, research, writing and cultural dialogue, the Hub creates opportunities to document women’s experiences, inspire future generations and connect local histories to wider conversations about women’s history.
Isisele Senyathi Writing Retreats
The Isisele Senyathi Writing Retreats create dedicated space for women to reflect, write and share stories that are often overlooked or unheard. Participants learn different writing approaches, develop writing frameworks and explore ways to shape their experiences, ideas and histories into compelling, shareable stories.
The retreats also provide time for reflection, healing and personal expression, supporting women to find and strengthen their own voices and celebrate their resilence. Selected stories are also included in Our Stories, Our Voices, an anthology of personal narratives, short stories and poetry, published by Ilitha Labantu.
Anthology Series: Our Stories, Our Voices
Our Stories, Our Voices is an anthology series from Ilitha Labantu’s Isisele Senyathi Women’s Hub on African Women’s History. Through personal narratives, short stories and poetry, the series creates space for women and girls to share experiences that are often overlooked, challenge distorted historical narratives and celebrate the resilience, knowledge and contributions of African women.
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Edition One: Our Stories, Our Voices: Discovering Ourselves
The inaugral edition brings together the voices of women and girls from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Emerging in part from the first Isisele Women’s Writing Retreat, the anthology explores personal journeys, memories and lived realities while creating space for stories that are often unheard. Through storytelling, it contributes to a more inclusive understanding of women’s experiences and their role in shaping communities and society.
Purchase the book here
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Edition Two: Our Stories, Our Voices From Pain to Power: A Journey of Self Discovery
The second edition brings together powerful stories of women who have transformed profound adversity into strength. Exploring themes of violence, loss, stigma, displacement, healing and resilience, the anthology reflects the many ways women reclaim dignity, voice and agency. It presents survival not simply as endurance, but as an active process of resistance, creativity, healing and self-discovery.
Annual Conference
The annual conference of Isisele Senyathi Women’s Hub on African Women’s History is held each year in September. The conference aims to bring together people from all sectors who are interested in women’s history. For many of the hub members, the conference is the highlight of belonging to the network.