ONLY a handful of women walked away with gongs at the just ended 16th edition of the National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) held last weekend.
This is evidence that more still needs to be done to promote and support women in showbiz.
While women are contributing to the arts sector, they are clearly outnumbered by men and have not had the benefit of promotion.
For instance, in music, women have been supporting acts and rarely headline shows.
Because women have been relegated to opening acts, they have become ‘invisible’.
Greater visibility through increased promotion in the arts industry will ensure women also become a force to reckon with.
Women, like their male counterparts, also have important messages to deliver.
The arts are a portrayal of a people’s culture and tradition; women are an important part of that culture and their voice must be heard.
The NAMA must be a platform that brings women to the fore and celebrate their achievements.
Ben Mahaka, a member of the adjudication committee for the NAMA agreed there was no gender equality in the local arts sector.
“Female artistes are still conspicuous by their low numbers, mainly because of reluctance by promoters to headline female artistes,” said Mahaka.
One cannot help but ask whether this inequality is as a result of poor promotion or failure by women to keep up in the cutthroat industry.
According to social commentator Goden Nyambuya, the arts sector resembles the jungle where the fittest survive.
“The arts sector in the country, like any other arena, is open to all, but the truth is that it is a sector where the fittest survive. It is up to the individual artiste to be innovative and create products that easily attract promoters,” said Nyambuya.
“Promoters want to make money and they will only back those artistes who will guarantee them a good return on their investment.”
Women, he said, had to be prepared to go head-to-head with their counterparts.
“A good song, piece of theatre or painting is just that and does not take into account gender, thus the onus is on women to deliver and have their voice heard,” he said.
It is sad women are only taken into account and recognised during commemorations designed to honour women, for example on occassions like International Women’s Day, Mother’s Day and 16 Days of Gender Activism.
The 16th edition of NAMA showed that though there were notable women in the arts sector, they have failed to keep up with their male counterparts.
According to an arts expert, Nyasha Chakanyuka, women must be more aggressive as well as assertive.
“Women are equally good and have the skills, be it in theatre, filmmaking and music production, but they have to be more aggressive when it comes to pushing their works,” she said.
“Women must not expect special treatment just because they are female. They must put themselves out there and ensure they give their male counterparts a good run.”
Competition in the sector, she said, knew no gender.
“It is not as if women are not talented or good enough but it seems only a few are ready to embark on the grueling journey of production,” said Chakanyuka.
It would also be advisable for NAMA to separate males and females rather than put them in the same categories.
For instance, putting Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave in the same category with Winky D and Jah Prayzah does not really do justice to the artistes.
Not that women cannot compete against men, rather it would have been interesting to have a Best Album of the Year award by a female as well as by a male.
This inspires more women to compete against their peers as would be the same for men.
Also mixing upcoming and established artistes was not the best of moves, like pitting upcoming comedian Samantha Kureya, better known as Gonyeti, against Nqobizitha Dube, aka Q the Comedian, in the same category.
This was an injustice to the upcoming artiste.
Women who walked away with awards include Ammara Brown, who won Outstanding Female Musician, and Jesesi Mungoshi, who scooped the award for Outstanding Actress in film.
Other winners are Rumbidzai Karize for Outstanding Actress in Theatre and Outstanding Female Dancer, Christina Jenkin.