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Empowerment of women critical – Selmor

Life & Style
WOMEN are capable of running businesses and their empowerment would translate into the upliftment of communities and the nation, Afro-Jazz musician Selmor Mtukudzi has said.

WOMEN are capable of running businesses and their empowerment would translate into the upliftment of communities and the nation, Afro-Jazz musician Selmor Mtukudzi has said.

BY WINSTONE ANTONIO

Speaking to NewsDay yesterday, Selmor said the multiple roles that women played in the domestic space qualified them to succeed in other spheres of life and challenged world leaders to craft policies that favoured women.

“We believe that women are just as capable of running businesses as their male counterparts. Women have more responsibilities in the home and so we believe that when a woman is empowered, a whole community, a whole nation is empowered,” she said.

“Women should be given more access to facilities, equipment, land and loans to do businesses. In the health sector, we have seen too many women and girls dying of preventable diseases and during childbirth due to lack of proper medication and that is unacceptable.”

Selmor featured in a track called Strong Girl. She collaborated with eight other female musicians from different African countries as 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.

This Friday, Strides Hospitality and Entertainment hosts a tribute dinner for Selmor Mtukudzi at Cresta Lodge in honour of her advocacy work for the empowerment of women and the girl child and the fight against poverty.

The song, which calls on women and girls to be central in the fight against poverty, features Victoria Kimani from Kenya, Vanessa Mdee from Tanzania, Arielle T from Gabon, Gabriela from Mozambique, Judith Sephuma from South Africa, Waje from Nigeria, Yemi Alade, from Nigeria and 14-year-old South African rapper Blessing.

Selmor, who has been in the music industry for more than a decade, rose to stardom in 2013 after releasing her album titled Expressions which carried the hit song Nguva Yangu.

The song topped the charts and was later nominated in the song of the year category at the 2013 edition of the National Arts Merit Awards.

Born in 1984 to superstar Oliver Mtukudzi and Melody Murape, Selmor is married to musician Tendai Manatsa, son of legendary Zexie Manatsa.

Before launching her solo career, Selmor worked with several musicians among them Tanga WekwaSando, Kwekwe Band, Jabavu and Pax Afro as a backing vocalist where she honed her voice and gained the confidence to launch a solo career.

Selmor has performed with local and international jazz bands and artistes including Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Tsepo Tshola. She has performed in many countries, among them United Kingdom, Finland and Namibia.