According to Total Music Group founder, Seabelo Modibe, the gender disparity in the local music industry has remained a major challenge for many years. Modibe’s company has been engaged on a five-year agreement since last year to organise, market, coordinate and manage the music awards. He said chief among factors in the industry-wide inequality is lack of gender equity in positions of power. He said they will address the struggle for women to hold space in any part of the male-dominated music industry. “Women participation in Botswana is so low. At BOMU we have never had a female president and Secretary-General, so there is a need to focus more on empowering women and putting them on the forefront. Most women in this industry are not involved where the money is so we need to change that,” Modibe highlighted. He held that women should not only be artists but be involved in other spheres of the industry.
He said the music industry is not a boys’ club, further pointing out that before female artists can make it to playlists and festival stages, there has to be women behind the scenes putting them there. “Women need to be in recording studios, become event producers, agents, managers, talent bookers and music executives,” he added. Modibe also said they will host a week-long music event styled Botswana Music and Entertainment Week dedicated to women ahead of the awards show.
