Women in the arts: A stereotyped lot?

Written by Mamelang Mamela
Friday, 19 August 2011 13:56

Spare a moment of silence for gifted female artists. Not only do they receive negative press coverage, but it would seem that rarely do they know peace, joy, happiness and, above all, love in their relationships with partners, managers, co-musicians or even bosses. Female musicians face multiple problems.
In fact, they are especially oppressed. It is worse if they are black because they already face oppression. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist or sangoma to understand this. There is a host of African-American singers – including Tina Turner, Whitney Houston and Rihanna – who are perfect examples of issues affecting female artists as they were not only subjected to abuse, they also endured a lot of hardship because of being women.

Many black female South African musicians have also not had easy lives. Thandi Klaasen carries scars on her face, arms and body, and the late Brenda Fassie faced many demons as we know so well thanks to extensive coverage in the press. Female artists – and black ones in particular – face serious challenges that include abuse, exploitation and oppression.

Women in the music industry often end up as back-up singers rather than taking centre stage, and their salary expectations are also often lower than those of their male colleagues. This situation plunges them into a trying situation where they become easy prey for sexual predators that harass them. These tend to be their male co-workers, managers or other bosses.

Unlike male musicians, female musicians’ success often depends on their physical attraction, and this prejudice also influences their family planning. When a female musician takes a break from her career to have babies, it’s not uncommon for her to disappear entirely from the music scene, thanks in part to her absence but also to her changing body. Life as a touring musician is also not really easy for young children, so many female musicians forfeit their careers to raise their children in a stable environment.

Leadership positions in unions in the music sector are also monopolised and dominated by males, and few women are elected as shop stewards or work leaders. The same can be said for corporate positions within the record industry. In a patriarchal society, it is very common to question the competence of women who are in leadership positions.

Since women share the same challenges, they seek counsel with each other and sometimes even form lobby groups that have direct access to union power or management. Unfortunately, these lobby groups generally make very little difference.

Female artists should be supported in their endeavours to become truly liberated. But it will always be women themselves who must lead their struggle. They can begin by demanding to occupy at least 50 percent of all positions in the sector. After all, women are in the majority.

We all know what women have done for the music industry: Dolly Rathebe, Miriam Makeba, Busi Mhlongo, Sibongile Khumalo, Letta Mbulu...