SistaazHood is a South African activist and advocacy support group embedded at the organisation Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT). The Sistaaz Hood supports the rights and health of

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...

women and

sex workers A sex worker is a person who provides sex work, either on a regular or occasional basis. The term is used in reference to those who work in all areas of the sex industry.Oxford English Dictionary, "sex worker" According to one view, sex work is d ...

. The group was founded in 2010 and is based in

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

. The group is also known for their various

photographic Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed i ...

collaborations with artists, amongst them the

fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

project, ''Sistaaz of the Castle'' in collaboration with photographer, Jan Hoek and

fashion designer Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

, Duran Lantink, also

InterseXion ''Intersexion'' (2012) is a documentary about intersex people. The film was researched and presented by activist Mani Mitchell, New Zealand's first "out" intersex person.

with artist Robert Hamblin. InterseXion was exhibited a
Iziko South African National Art Gallery.

About

SistaazHood was founded in 2010 and represents

women in

who are

, many of whom are

homeless Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

. The organization provides community spaces for transgender women. The group was founded by Netta Marcus, Cym van Dyk and Leigh Davids. Marcus brought the women together and they were able to live outside the

Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

walls. By 2019, there were around 40 members. SistaazHood is working to decriminalize sex work. SistaazHood also fights

transphobia Transphobia is a collection of ideas and phenomena that encompass a range of negative attitudes, feelings, or actions towards transgender people or transness in general. Transphobia can include fear, aversion, hatred, violence or anger tow ...

in the police force and

police violence Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or a group. It is an extreme form of police misconduct and is a civil rights violation. Police brutality includes, but is not limited to, ...

against transgender women. The group has helped the police draft new Standard Operating Procedures in dealing with transgender and homeless people and the law. They are affiliated with Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce, a group that advocates for the removal of laws against sex work. SistaazHood also works with the Triangle Project and Gender DynamiX.

''Sistaaz of the Castle''

''Sistaaz of the Castle'' is a

and

collaboration between members of SistaazHood and photographer, Jan Hoek, and Duran Lantink, a

. The project began in 2014. Women from SistaazHood described the dresses they wanted to wear and Lantink created them for the

photo shoots A photo shoot is the process taken by creatives and models that results in a visual objective being obtained. An example is a model posing for a photographer at a studio or an outdoor location. A photo shoot is a series of images that are taken, ...

. The collaboration led to the creation of a

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

called ''Sistaaz of the Castle'' which donates 100% of the profits back to SistaazHood. The magazine had a printing run of 1,500 copies. The magazine has been able to spread the word about the group, educating the community about them, and also helped give the women a sense of purpose.

InterseXion

InterseXion ''Intersexion'' (2012) is a documentary about intersex people. The film was researched and presented by activist Mani Mitchell, New Zealand's first "out" intersex person.

is a multidisciplinary art project mandated by The Sistaaz Hood support group in 2010 in collaboration with artist Robert Hamblin. The final outcome of the project was a traveling exhibition consisting of photographs, voice work installations and quotations from group members about their work and private lives. The purpose of the exhibition was to advocate around issues that showed how poverty and gender inequality correlates to the identity of the group members.

References

External links

Official site
*
Sistaaz of the Castle
'
Sistaaz of the Castle
(2016 video) {{Authority control 2010 establishments in South Africa LGBT rights organizations Transgender organizations Sex worker organizations Prostitution in South Africa