Masikhulume: from silence to support
1
The Sarraounia Public Health Trust, Johannesburg, South Africa
2
goGOGOgo, Johannesburg, South Africa
3
Health and Care Management, Arden University, London, United Kingdom
4
School of Public Health, The University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1381
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Gender-based violence and Femicide (GBVF) remains a major public health challenge in South Africa, with fatal, physical and emotional health outcomes. In November 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa formally classified GBVF as a national disaster. Alexandra township, Johannesburg is identified as a GBVF hotspot, shaped by poverty, unemployment and entrenched patriarchal norms. Masikhulume is a GBV prevention and arts-based intergenerational dialogue intervention that aims to strengthen protective relationships between older women caregivers (gogos) and adolescents in their care by improving communication about GBV, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and child protection.
METHODS:
The Masikhulume pilot was implemented in Alexandra from October 2024 to March 2025. The pilot reached 159 participants, including 44 gogos and 115 adolescent girls aged 10-19. Masikhulume used a two-stage process using creative participatory
METHODS:
separate age-appropriate psychosocial education sessions for gogos and adolescents (involving puppet-doll making), followed by facilitated intergenerational dialogue sessions to strengthen communication and protective caregiving (using community mapping). Participant experience and implementation lessons learnt were documented through registers, workshop outputs (puppet-dolls, participant reflection charts and community maps), post-workshop qualitative feedback, facilitator notes and formal reflection captured on Google Forms.
RESULTS:
Simple puppet dolls embodied participant GBV fears and past traumas and were successfully used to bridge the generation divide when coupled with complementary participatory exercises. Participants reported improved caregiver-adolescent relationships, with gogos reporting greater confidence to discuss difficult topics and adolescents describing feeling heard and supported. All participants reported strengthened communication skills, increased knowledge related to GBV and SRHR, and the formation of peer/caregiver support networks.
CONCLUSIONS:
Arts-based methods strengthen relational pathways that underpin GBV prevention through improved communication, support and protective caregiving vital to bridge the generation divide. While the approach advances equity and inclusion by centering adolescents and older caregivers, sustainability remains constrained by limited funding for creative methodologies.
Gender-based violence and Femicide (GBVF) remains a major public health challenge in South Africa, with fatal, physical and emotional health outcomes. In November 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa formally classified GBVF as a national disaster. Alexandra township, Johannesburg is identified as a GBVF hotspot, shaped by poverty, unemployment and entrenched patriarchal norms. Masikhulume is a GBV prevention and arts-based intergenerational dialogue intervention that aims to strengthen protective relationships between older women caregivers (gogos) and adolescents in their care by improving communication about GBV, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and child protection.
METHODS:
The Masikhulume pilot was implemented in Alexandra from October 2024 to March 2025. The pilot reached 159 participants, including 44 gogos and 115 adolescent girls aged 10-19. Masikhulume used a two-stage process using creative participatory
METHODS:
separate age-appropriate psychosocial education sessions for gogos and adolescents (involving puppet-doll making), followed by facilitated intergenerational dialogue sessions to strengthen communication and protective caregiving (using community mapping). Participant experience and implementation lessons learnt were documented through registers, workshop outputs (puppet-dolls, participant reflection charts and community maps), post-workshop qualitative feedback, facilitator notes and formal reflection captured on Google Forms.
RESULTS:
Simple puppet dolls embodied participant GBV fears and past traumas and were successfully used to bridge the generation divide when coupled with complementary participatory exercises. Participants reported improved caregiver-adolescent relationships, with gogos reporting greater confidence to discuss difficult topics and adolescents describing feeling heard and supported. All participants reported strengthened communication skills, increased knowledge related to GBV and SRHR, and the formation of peer/caregiver support networks.
CONCLUSIONS:
Arts-based methods strengthen relational pathways that underpin GBV prevention through improved communication, support and protective caregiving vital to bridge the generation divide. While the approach advances equity and inclusion by centering adolescents and older caregivers, sustainability remains constrained by limited funding for creative methodologies.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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