No Brothers in The Game?

Why does being a woman always have to be such a struggle? It is the eve of Women’s Day and I am from an event where I had to fight for women to be on stage. ON THE EVE OF WOMEN’S DAY!!!!!!! Why gents why?

I am on the Sawubona Music Jam team, predominantly male team. This means that every Tuesday without fail the men get to be on stage. We as women cheer them on, we sing along, we encourage the men to be more confident on stage. The cheers of women are behind every male star in the industry.

 

The messaging is pretty clear in South Africa, in August we take a moment for women. This is not a debate platform to speak about the legitimacy of women. It is a time to give the platform to women.

Tonight’s event as usual was filled with men (much to my annoyance.) When I enquired from the male MC why there were not enough women performers on stage, he told me that there are ‘no women’ performers. I asked him to call me up next. I got on the microphone and asked female vocalists to join me on stage. There were not enough mics as there were more-than-enough female performers. The show suddenly had female performers who apparently transpired from thin air.

 

Gents, you have never been willing to share the platform and thus have created an anti female energy which does not support females on the stage. When a woman gets on stage there is tension that pressures a woman to prove herself. We don’t do that for men.

Where we have cheered for you and made you kings, you have failed to do the same for us. Women are not coming onto the stage because you haven’t made them feel like they belong on the stage. (Unless scantily clad)

 

If I am in General Admissions I cannot just walk into the VIP section, I have to be welcomed into it. Gentlemen you have created a VIP section of the music industry and you are our only access in.

Much like in the home, you are abusing your power for selfish gain.

 

I am making an appeal to all men in the music industry to make the circle bigger. Be open to women in the industry. Be open to women promoters. Be open to women artists. Be open to women technicians. Be open to women bosses. Be open to women on boards like Moshito. Be open to women voices. We are feeling oppressed by you.

It is not right that you only want us in the game if we give up our vaginas.

Learn to see us as equals, as business partners. Treat us as you treat each other, with respect and dignity.

We could all be making so much more money if we worked together, this is not a competition.

 

Whenever you men are amongst yourselves at gigs, look at the gender balance.....can it NEVER be ok with you when your female counterparts are not represented? When you promoters do your line ups can you be conscious of gender balance? When you book you technical staff for festivals, can you be conscious of gender balance? Can you stop shoving women into catering areas and dancers only? We want to see women in the forefront.

There is 50% of our population not being represented in our music industry.

 

 

We have cheered you on

and cheered you on....

you are standing strong.

Now use that strength

to lift up your sisters.

All of them

 

And sisters at the top, it is not enough that you stand there alone...take other women with you!