Female creatives have hailed the inaugural Women in Arts Conference for providing them with platforms to discuss issues and challenges they face in the local creative space.
Held in Lilongwe on Tuesday, the conference brought together female artists from various art disciplines.
The event provided them with a platform to reflect on the progress made, address persistent challenges and develop policy-oriented recommendations to culminate into a position paper to inform gender mainstreaming in Malawi’s National Cultural Policy.
In an interview on the sidelines of the conference, award-winning fashion designer Lilly Alfonso said for a long time, women in the local arts sector have operated in solitude, hence the inaugural conference marks a positive development.
“It is a good opportunity for us to come together and discuss issues as creatives. Normally, we are not given these spaces and we operate privately. But this will allow us to have our voices heard,” she said.
Alfonso added that many local fashion designers do not know how to protect their work, saying such platforms are crucial for sharing that information.
“This is a great space where we can share that information and ensure that people value what we do,” she said.
In a separate interview, filmmaker and actress Joyce Chavula agreed with Alfonso, observing that women are often unable to discuss challenges they face in the industry because they lack platforms.
“When you bring women together in a space like this, they can talk freely without barriers. These spaces are very important when it comes to addressing challenges we face as female creatives,” she said.
Chavula said for emerging artists, such platforms also play a crucial role by paving the way for them to know where to turn when they face challenges in the industry.
She noted that women face different challenges, including patriarchal and industry-specific barriers, but often have no place to take those concerns.
Addressing the creatives at the conference, Secretary for Youth, Sports and Culture James Ndalama, encouraged the artists not to underestimate themselves and the strides they are making in the industry.
“You are artists. There is no female art or male art. So, be proud of the achievements you have made and do not underestimate yourselves,” he said.
The conference was organised by the Department of Arts under the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture as part of the project Mainstreaming Gender Equality in Malawi’s Cultural and Creative Sector, with funding from Unesco’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity.
