Women In Film Guild to uplift women
Larona Makhaiza | Sunday March 5, 2023 06:00
Nikita Mokgware and Serena Mmifinyana, who are the co-founders of WIF, said besides being a platform where people in the creative industry can learn about WIF, the occasion offered creatives a chance to share ideas on how they can uplift each other.
WIF was established in 2021 by a group of young ladies who graduated mostly in programmes that deal with film. The ladies came together with an intent to penetrate the male-dominated industry.
Among the group's members is former Miss Botswana, Palesa Molefe who has been roped in as the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of WIF. Giving background on WIF, Mokgware ,who is WIF chairperson, said they saw it fit to establish the entity as women to show that a girl-child can also make it in the male-dominated profession. “We decided to establish WIF back in November 2021 so that Batswana women filmmakers can come together to push for more equality credit in the film and television industry,” Mokgware said.
She said as WIF, one of their mandate is to provide a harmonious society that goes out of its way to assist women in the film industry through education. She said they also exist to empower women in the television and film space in different ways, adding that there has been under-representation of women in the film and television scene. One of their core visions is to promote and try to sustain a progressive film industry in Botswana as they want to see the industry that has remained stagnant for years blossom.
Furthermore, Mokgware said they offer three basics which are theory training, practical experience and professional assistance. These three basics that they offer are implemented through workshops (for theory training), internships (for practical experience), and fundraising (for professional assistance). Under their wing, she said internships are available for female students, graduates and professionals, both paid or unpaid for. "And these basics are only available to women that have subscribed with WIF to become members," she added.
While the founders of WIF were commended for coming up with such an idea, the Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Botswana, Professor Thapelo Otlogetswe advised them to always be clear on what one stands to benefit by investing in the project. "People cannot give out their monies willingly without knowing what is in it for them," he warned. Another attendee who preferred not to be named warned against leaving the boy-child behind as it would appear to the society that WIF is meant to wage a fight between men and women. He said the industry could develop if all genders work well together as they need each other.