WICA offers 50 scholarships to women in creative industry
The Women in Creativity Africa (WICA), an innovative initiative aimed at empowering African women in the creative industry, has been launched with the introduction of a scholarship scheme to train young women in the creatives.
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At least 50 young women with talents in the creatives would annually be awarded scholarships by the WICA to undergo skills development training at the The Africa Freelancers (TAF) College, a tuition-free institution dedicated to nurturing creative talents in the country.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Co-Founder, WICA, Sandra Ocquaye, announcing the scholarship scheme during the launch of the organisation in Accra last Friday, expressed appreciation to the TAF College for the partnership to develop and sharpen the skills of women in the creative sector, which held immense potential for the economic empowerment of women.
The WICA, which was launched on the theme, "Bridging borders, breaking barriers," sought to among others address the critical issue of women's underrepresentation in the creative industry by enhancing their capacity through skills training, talent nurturing, mentorship and entrepreneurship empowerment to break barriers.
Objectives
The launch, which was characterised by a panel discussion of pertinent issues affecting females in the creatives and a lifetime awards for female achievers, creates a platform for effective collaboration among women in the creative industry.
Explaining the rationale for the establishment of the organisation, Mrs Oquaye noted that research had consistently shown significant underrepresentation of women in various creative disciplines, amidst persistent stereotypes and misconceptions about the creative industry as a male-dominated domain, which discourages creative African women from entering and advancing in these careers.
According to her, the mission of the WICA was “to empower and celebrate creative African women, fostering inclusivity, breaking barriers and creating a vibrant community where every woman's creative voice is heard.”
“Our objectives align with the continent’s efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on poverty alleviation, quality education, gender quality and decent jobs and economic growth,” she stressed.
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In addition, she noted that the group sought to celebrate female leaders, champion their achievements, and create mentorship programmes that connected aspiring creatives with established figures, as well as actively cultivate opportunities by investing in programmes that nurture female talents, provide access to training and resources and support the creation of female-led initiatives in the creative industry.
Break barriers
Gifty Anti, an award-winning broadcaster and author, who was the guest speaker, challenged women to be creative to be able to break barriers in their respective enterprises and industries.
The panellists— Alethia Glover, the CEO of Treasure Attitude International, Regina Odigie-Olotayo, Creative Director at Cedar Femme Media, Sharon Dede Padi, CEO of Padiki Art Gallery, Akosua Agyapong, award-winning singer and songwriter, Rev. Mrs Angela Appiah, a coach and first female president of the Institute of Directors and Rosalin Kyere-Nartey, celebrity chef and CEO of Africa Dyslexia Organisation—encouraged networking among female entrepreneurs, especially in the creative industry.
As part of the event, awards were presented to some exemplary women of creative excellence for their achievements and contributions to the growth of the creative industry.
They included Eunice Darko, CEO of Manye & Mantse Clothing, Nana Afriyie Frimpong, Costume Designer and Film Producer, Lydia Ashitey, award-winning make-up artist, Natalie Fort, television presenter, Tunisia Tagoe, CEO of Ladies Entrepreneurship Club, Gifty Anti, Rosalin Kyere-Nartey, Regina Odigie-Olatoyo, Eritha Glover, Sharon Dede Padiki and Kuukua Eshun.
