Across the globe and within the context of Zimbabwe it remains of note how women remain systematically denied of their rights to access and to participate in artistic and cultural activities.
Gender-based discrimination remains a rampant phenomenon which is faced by women in the arts and culture sector, and this has been institutionalised because of the repressive systems of patriarchy that cement the dominance of men.
Our society particularly in Zimbabwe, is more traditionalistic and religiously grounded which puts an emphasis on the issues of morality. In a great many times this becomes the basis for the abuse and exploitation of women which even stretches into the deeper realms of the creative sector.
On several occasions women artists are forced to navigate these vague and challenging definitions on family values and morality or they face being censored, prosecuted, fined, fired, harassed, attacked, and in extreme circumstances killed for their expressions.
The 16 days of activism against gender based violence reminds us of the challenges and hurdles that women in particular face especially within the circles of art and creativity. The bigger question is with regards to the safety of women in art circles, and if their expression is something that remains relevant.
Women’s rights to equal access to create and participate in cultural expressions are upheld by international human rights mechanisms. Article 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Right affirms the right to access, participate and contribute to all elements of cultural life. Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantees the right to freedom of expression and opinion without interference.
Similarly, Article 6 of the 1980 UNESCO Recommendation Concerning the Status of the artist upholds the importance of freedom of artistic expression, with Article 8 calling on Member States to ensure that all individuals, irrespective of their gender, can obtain and exercise their right to develop artistic talents.
Further, Article 7 of the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions emphasises the importance of creative expressions and recognises the special needs of women.
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These rights are affirmed by specific gender-based mechanisms like Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 on empowering women and girls and strengthening legislation to achieve gender equality.
But in the context of Zimbabwe - regardless of these legislations and frameworks there still is a shared agony among the many female creatives as the singling out of media and harassment of women remain some of the chief impediments to the complete acceptance of women practicing in the creative sector.
The empowerment of women in the arts sector remains something that is more theoretical rather than practical as male dominance in the management and also the individual artistic level is high.
Despite recent progress in promoting gender equality in the cultural and creative industries, as well as the renewed attention generated by both the pandemic and the #MeToo movement, much work remains to achieve gender equality in this sector.
Impediments to gender equality in the cultural and creative sectors are numerous, and these include unequal access to decent employment, fair remuneration, and leadership positions, as well as barriers to seniority.
Opportunities for women in the context of Zimbabwe to participate fully in the cultural sectors and benefit from the creative economy, notably in the digital environment, require increased support.
Gender equality is fundamental in ensuring a genuine diversity of cultural content and equal opportunities in artistic work and cultural employment.
It is high time that the culture sector in the country grasps the extent of these inequalities and the structural issues that remain to be addressed. Culture and creativity are unfortunately not immune to gender inequality.
Those who identify as women or are gender diverse are much more likely to suffer from harassment, abuse, bullying and a general lack of safety in all workplaces including in cultural and media workplaces.
Initiatives aiming to uphold freedom of expression, artistic freedom, social and economic rights of artists must factor in gender related threats to these freedoms and rights.
Even in the most privileged creative professions, various mechanisms are used to silence women who speak up about abuse and harassment.
For example, legal clauses may prevent women from speaking out and the routine use of nondisclosure agreements in many cultural industries from film to journalism to new media technology, continues to render women’s experiences unspeakable.
Awareness of sexual harassment and abuse and the toll this takes on women and gender diverse creatives is evident. Fortunately, we see a laudable emerging focus on safety and well-being in the context of Zimbabwe which signals that there is significant momentum towards change in these areas at various levels of action.
In Zimbabwe there is the need for the strengthening of policies which have to include actions that give priority to the allocation of competitive cultural grants to initiatives promoting an ethic of equality between men and women and the training of men, through culture, for the eradication of the power of domination and sexist control.
Once again, civil society is the first to mobilize both as a whistle-blower to raise awareness of the problems faced by women and gender diverse creatives in the culture and creative sectors and to put in place initiatives proposing answers to these problems.
In Zimbabwe I can attribute how the whole industry is still very misogynistic, and it positions women as supporters of the system rather than active collaborators or creators.
Most women are assigned supporting positions as assistants to directors, financial managers or as sexualised objects shown through films.
This prevailing demeaning attitude towards women is the source of harassment and abuse and as long as men continue to dominate powerful positions in the industry and perpetuate hetero-normativity it will not end.
Finally, every person is entitled to a safe and supportive working environment free of contempt or violence, and women in the film industry are no exception. This should not be something that we need to fight for, it should be a normal and standard condition of work.
Once again, civil society is the first to mobilise both as a whistle-blower to raise awareness of the problems faced by women and gender diverse creatives in the culture and creative sectors and to put in place initiatives proposing solutions to these problems.
Raymond Millagre Langa is musician, poet, orator, independent researcher and founder of Indebo edutainment Trust. You can follow on Facebook @Millagre Ray Langa, on X you can follow on #Millagre Langa, email. [email protected] or [email protected]
