Thoko BudazaWomen Demand Dignity (WDD) - an advocacy/lobbying group based in Cape Town has awarded a White Ribbon Award to Thokozile Budaza for her outstanding work in the area of violence against women and children.   Thokozile Budaza, became involved in activism on HIV/AIDS and gender based violence while at the University of the Western Cape. She now works at the Open Society Foundation, serves on the board of Sonke Gender Justice and also works as a consultant to EngenderHealth on the implementation of the Men as Partners Network. Thoko has spoken publicly about her experiences as a rape survivor and created an amazing and very courageous short video describing her life.

Thoko has also written widely and been published in a recent Cape Times article on the role of young women in the women's movement as well as a book chapter on gender and AIDS activism forthcoming from the Centre for Conflict Resolution. Reflecting on the way in which she has dealt with being raped, she wrote last year, "I can never imagine what those men wanted me to become, but I am my own person and I will not be a victim of their twisted actions. I am not a victim, nor a survivor. Being a survivor would mean that I am living with the abuse everyday of my life and surviving. I am a victor".

Read Thoko's report on the 2005 16 Days of Activism and her call for a strong women's movement .