Zimbabwean rapper, AWA. Photo via BBC.

One of the biggest reasons that SKIC put down roots in Zimbabwe is because female disenfranchisement is rampant and the availability of micro-finance loans does not meet the demand. The marginalization that women in Zimbabwe face is not often talked about – both within the country itself and on a more global scale.

Meet AWA, a female rapper who is attempting to shed light on the types of prejudices and gender-based violence that many women in Zimbabwe face. She is one of very few women who are using music as a platform for raising awareness about the issues that permeate Zimbabwean culture on a daily basis. Her name, an acronym standing for African Women Arise, was chosen to convey her passion for women’s rights advocacy.

SKIC hopes that women and young girls who are utilizing our programs (both SKImfi micro-finance loans and SKIpgo scholarship education programs) gain the self-confidence that comes from employment and education to combat some of the gender discrimination that is embedded in Zimbabwean culture. Fortunately, with the emergence of AWA, Zimbabwean women are beginning to have role models that they can turn to and glean inspiration from when it comes to breaking down some of the barriers that exist for women in historically gender-biased communities.

For more about AWA, click here.

To hear AWA’s music and see her in action, click here.