This Women’s Day, transgender activist and reality TV star Yaya Mavundla is celebrating transgender women Her images recently caused a stir on social media after she headlined Zanele Muholi’s exhibition in Luzern, Switzerland. The series of paintings are meant to erase the oppression of transgender women and to celebrate their strength, resilience and boldness through art.

WOMEN AS WELL

Yaya believes transgender women also have a right to celebrate Women’s Day. "This day is a reminder to us that transgender women are women too, so therefore what is afforded to heterosexual women should be afforded to transgender women. This brings about a conversation about inclusion and equality," Yaya says. 

SURVIVING AS A TRANS WOMAN

Yaya says living in South Africa as a transgender woman is challenging. "In South Africa, many openly transgender women are unemployed and lack access to opportunities that are afforded to cis-heterosexual women in the country and because of this, some trans women unwillingly end up in sex work, abusive relationships and doing odd jobs for survival which is what I escaped a few years back after being homeless and unable to make ends meet due to lack of opportunities," Yaya says. "I survived a lot, I survived death, I survived depression and mostly I survived losing me. I nearly gave up my passion for doing great things that I do now because there were no opportunities for someone like me and especially for me," says Yaya.

TRAUMA, STRUGGLES, AND HOMELESSNESS

Yaya says that the world preaches inclusion daily but she questions the true beneficiaries. She is determined to make sure that trans voices are heard and also to encourage transgender people to choose themselves and validate themselves, even if no one is doing so. "I grew up in an environment where there was no one like me. Growing up in the deep rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal in Kranskop there was no transgender person or openly queer person I could reference," she says. "For many years I doubted my beauty and my strength, I believed I was not beautiful and worthy.People around me made me feel I was never good enough and I was less worthy than other people, even comparing to transgender women and queer people around me." Yaya admits that she is still struggling to face and openly speak about the traumatic experiences she went through during her time being homeless in the city of Johannesburg and hopes to encourage other queer people to know it is never their fault and also they must understand that sometimes you will face such situations and challenges alone, no one will want to associate with you when you have nothing and that should change.