Live music is in the pipeline from the 26th of November to the 10th of December as part of the #16WomenVoices project.
According to the United Nations – conveners of the 16 Days against Gender Based Violence, which has been running since 1991 – this year’s theme is ‘Orange the World: End Violence Against Women Now!’ November 25 is ironically International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and that’s when our campaign starts, whilst 10th December is Human Rights Day which will be the last day of the campaign which will culminate in a live concert. The significance and range of the topics tackled in the space between ending violence against women and enjoying human rights is cause for much expectation.
A bevy of young and emerging female artists have been lined up and prepped to deliver the live shows. Apart from the gender of female that they all identify with, nothing else draws any similarities among them – well perhaps of course maybe that they have all at some point or the other faced some impediment or obstacle in their career trajectories based on their gender. Dare even to say some have faced violence, purely based on their gender. Well, the beauty of such a project, born on the back of a depressing fact of life, is that music does bring colour tour lives … lives to which every aspect has its own soundtrack. While the versatility on display may feature an array of styles, the common colour aimed at here is Orange-
Chioneso, Fatima Katiji, Mary Anibal, Nasibo, Nonny, Pamzy, Raven Duchess, Rumbi, Rutendo Jackie, Black Afro and Thee Ammartian are some of the artists featured in this project. They are all grateful to be featured on a project articulating issues they are passionate about.
“Thanks for giving us the opportunity to express ourselves through this project”
Raven Duchess
“I had the best experience of my life. Thank you, everyone, for making it possible, the love, the passion, great reunions, new friends, new family.”
Fatima Katiji a.k.a Stimela
POVO Afrika coordinated the project with funding from the Music in Africa Foundation’s (MIAF) Music In Africa Live initiative (MIAL), which was started in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic – offering opportunities to African artists to showcase their talent on issues to do with information dissemination and educative content using social media and digital platforms.
“Identifying these new ‘faces & voices’ of women in music in Zimbabwe, and giving them room to express themselves creatively for this project was a joy. We thank the MIAF for making this a possibility and as we look forward to growing the concept, we appreciate the faith and the selection of our concept”.
Project Consultant, Edith WeUtonga
What’s left is to set your reminders to log onto the POVOAfrika Facebook page for the daily shows and final concert on December 10, 2021 from 730pm CAT. Interface with these young female musicians on your preferred social media platforms, hear them out and perhaps get started on turning our world orange, in recognition of the elimination of violence against women.
#16WomenVoices #16Days #MySexIsBleeding #16Days #16DaysofActivism #WomanofNote
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