Artistes urged to fight gender violence

Courage Musariri Entertainment Reporter
LOCAL artistes have been urged to use their skills to fight violence against women and girls. Addressing participants at a workshop for artistes against gender violence in Bulawayo recently, Albert Nyathi, the United Nations regional Creative Artist Advisory Council representative said artistes should play a leading role in fighting gender violence.

Nyathi said artistes could use songs, poems, paintings or craftwork to put across their messages to discourage violence against women and girls.

“Ensure you include at least one piece of work, be it on your 15-track album, poems or paintings, which changes the mind of your targeted audience so that they too join in the fight against violence on women and girls,” said Nyathi

Nyathi is spearheading the UN sponsored programme meant to mobilise artistes to join in the campaign to discourage violence against women and girls.

The artistes, Nyathi said, have a powerful influence on society hence the decision to involve them in this campaign to discourage violence against women and girls.

“A person thinks in pictures and when he listens to a song or looks at a piece of art, he visualises and puts into action the message that is being sent to him. If a song says ‘mukadzi ngaarohwe’, someone in Bulawayo, Binga, Kwekwe or Kariba will get a different meaning so artistes should be careful of what they sing about,” he said.

Nyathi said his organisation was working on a three-year programme which will see projects to discourage violence against women and girls receiving funding from the UN.

He said once approved, the project will receive funding.