Johannesburg - Celebrated dancer Bontle Modiselle’s dance piece made the Global Citizen stage as part of South Africa’s Bloodsisters dance initiative.
On Saturday, Modiselle’s curated work on ending period poverty made international news when it took centre stage as part of the Global Citizen Festival in New York City.
In a collaboration with P&G (Procter and Gamble), the Bloodsisters initiative, Modiselle, who recently joined Clash of the Choirs as a presenter, said creative ways were needed to solve period poverty in order to keep girls in school.
“We need to find creative ways to end period poverty. I know it can get awkward sometimes to speak about these things, but we need to be there for each other. It is important to share the information and knowledge that you gain. We need to take up more options in trying to help each other end period poverty,” she said.
Her dance moves, were performed by dancers from New York at the 11th instalment of the famed Global Citizen Festival.
The leading festival, which took place in New York City’s Central Park, was attended by thousands of global citizens, along with some of the leading artists and activists.
The on-stage moment was introduced by actress and philanthropist Nomzamo Mbatha, who presided over the affair, which was also graced by the likes of Katie Holmes and Nkosana Butholenkosi Masuku and acts such as Lauryn Hill, Jung Cook and Charlize Theron, among others.
The performance was dedicated to raising awareness and funds for menstrual hygiene education and products, an initiative that began in South Africa in 2019 and has since grown into a global movement with over 2 million members in over 100 countries.
Communications leader of P&G Cassie Jaganyi said over the years, the initiative had provided girls with access to menstrual hygiene products and education and worked to break down the stigma around menstruation.
“We believe that we are all global citizens responsible for making the world a better place, and the time to do so is right here, right now. We recognise the challenges, especially in a region with high poverty, and we strive to play our part to effect positive change. We have partnered with other Global Citizen organisations, including World Vision and the UN Foundation, for the festival to address various pressing issues, including poverty and education,” she said.
The Star