In September 2022, Zambian grassroots feminist organiser, the Sistah Sistah Foundation held Zambia’s first feminist festival. The festival attracted a crowd filled with feminists, allies and protesters. According to Sistah Sistah co-founder, Ann Holland, the organisation wanted to create an alternative to its annual march.
The last march took place in September in 2021, starting from the Lusaka Global Platform and ending at the Munali Roundabout, about 40 minutes walk. Marchers carried placards while chanting slogans or singing along to popular protest music like Zambian musician Sista D’s ‘Vitendeni’, which is an anthem against child sexual abuse.
In an interview in early September, a day before the festival, Ann said, “Marches are really fun, and they’re impactful and powerful. But sometimes it can be very tiring when all you’re doing is marching. So what we wanted this year was that instead of doing a march, we do a festival.”