Can pop culture influence young girls to study, and mothers to speak up against child marriage and domestic abuse? In Ethiopia, girls and women are warming up to a band named Yegna, who are using music to deliver socially relevant stories.
The all-girl five member group, dubbed as the “Spice Girls” of Ethiopia have gone beyond what the UK girl-band did – compose catchy music, script powerful radio shows and brand themselves as role models for the female youth of Africa’s oldest country.
Here’s how Yegna, pronounced yen-ya, fearlessly championed women’s rights.
Yegna shot to popularity when they released their first song, Abet, meaning “We are here”, in Ethiopia’s official language Amharic, four years ago on YouTube.
The Girl Effect project, which launched Yegna, draws on Ethiopia’s tradition in music and folklore to innovate unique forms of storytelling on digital technology.
With the help of national and foreign funds, they work on forced child marriage, violence, teen pregnancy, migration and school drop-out, which hold a generation of young Ethiopian women back.
Not many believe that music and radio drama can bring change in a country which suffers from political instability.
This month, the UK government ended its partnership with the the Girl Effect, after chorus of criticism labelled that £5.2 million was “a waste”.
The Girl Effect felt that they were misrepresented as they were working on the underlying causes of poverty, and not just the visible symptoms of it.
Women’s rights in Ethiopia remain a matter of of grave concern. According to UNICEF, over 74% of women in the country have undergone female genital mutilation.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!