AFRO-JAZZ musician Selmor Mtukudzi is in Johannesburg, South Africa, together with other female musicians to record a song calling for world leaders to put women’s empowerment at the heart of the new development goals.
By Entertainment Reporter
The song will feature Selmor (Zimbabwe), Judith Sephuma (South Africa), Victoria Kimani (Kenya), Vanessa Mdee (Tanzania), Arielle T (Gabon), Omotola (Nigeria) and Waje (Nigeria).
The song is part of the “Poverty is Sexist” campaign by the ONE Campaign, an advocacy organisation of more than six million people taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable diseases, particularly in Africa.
Selmor was set to record the song and video in Johannesburg starting last Monday through to yesterday. Nollywood actress Omotola will be the star of the video. The recording of the song and video was to be held at SABC studios, in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.
“This is an important year and this is an important campaign. The African Union declared 2015 the year of women empowerment, so speaking out about the role of women in development is more important than ever before,” Selmor said.
She said her passion was health and for her, it was tragic that to this day, there were far too many girls and women dying because they lacked access to quality health services.
Selmor added that if through this song her voice helped to ensure that fewer women die in childbirth and that fewer children die from preventable diseases, then she would be the happiest woman alive. The song will be used to promote the “Poverty is Sexist” campaign across the world and will be officially launched in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Mozambique and in South Africa during the World Economic Forum for Africa and the African Union Heads of State Summit. The campaign has a petition which is calling on world leaders to fast-track the fight against inequality and injustice by investing more in women and girls if the world is to end extreme poverty by 2030.
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“ONE believes that the injustice that is extreme poverty can’t be eradicated without fighting the immense gender inequality that persists around the world.
“Therefore, through this song, ONE is calling for smart policies and targeted investments in health, education and the economic empowerment of women and girls for them to unleash their human, social, political and economic potential.
“Not politically partisan, we raise public awareness and press political leaders to combat Aids and preventable diseases, increase investments in agriculture and nutrition, and demand greater transparency in poverty-fighting programs,” said ONE Africa media co-ordinator Idriss Nassah in a statement.
