WICA launches to support women in creative industry

Women in Creativity Africa (WICA), an initiative committed to empowering African women in the creative industry by fostering their resilience, talent, and innovation has been launched in Accra with a call on women entrepreneurs to network to make a transformative impact.

WICA, which was launched on the theme, "Bridging Borders, Breaking Barriers," seeks to among other objectives, address the critical gap of women's underrepresentation in the creative industry by enhancing the capacity through skills training, talent nurturing, mentorship and entrepreneurship empowerment to break barriers.

The launch of the organization, which was characterized by a panel discussion of pertinent issues affecting females in the creatives, and lifetime awards for female achievers, creates a platform for effective collaboration among women in the creative industry.

Mrs Sandra Oquaye, CEO and Co-Founder of WICA, in her address to launch the organisation, explained that the group seeks to celebrate female leaders, champion their achievements, and create mentorship programmes that connect aspiring creatives with established figures, as well as actively cultivate opportunities by investing in programmes that nurture female talents, provide access to training and resources, and support the creation of female-led initiatives in the creative industry.

“Our mission is to empower and celebrate creative African women, fostering inclusivity, breaking barriers, and creating a vibrant community where every woman's creative voice is heard,” she said.

WICA, she said, was established in collaboration with The Africa Freelancers (TAF) College which would act as the organisation’s training partner to enhance the skills for members.

In that regard, she announced the offer of 50 annual scholarships for young women to undergo modern creative training at TAF College to develop and sharpen their creative talents.

According to her, the objectives of WICA, align with the continent’s efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on poverty alleviation, quality education, gender quality, and decent jobs and economic growth.

Gifty Anti, an award-winning broadcaster and author, who was the guest speaker, challenged women to be creative to be able to break barriers in their respective enterprises and industries.

The panellists — Alethia Glover, CEO of Treasure Attitude International, Regina Odigie-Olotayo, Creative Director at Cedar Femme Media, Sharon Dede Padi, CEO of Padiki Art Gallery, Akosua Agyapong, award-winning singer and songwriter, Rev Mrs Angela Appiah, a coach and first female president of the Institute of Directors, and. Rosalin Kyere-Nartey, celebrity chef and CEO of Africa Dyslexia Organisation— were unanimous in their call for networking among female entrepreneurs, especially in the creative industry.

“We shouldn't be interested in just building ourselves, but also focus on how to connect with other female leaders to develop initiatives into big projects in Africa,” Regina Odigie-Olotayo noted.

She advised that those interested in partnerships could address trust issues by ensuring that the partnership arrangements are supported with documented agreements to avoid disputes.

As part of the event, awards were presented to some distinguished women for their achievements and contributions to the progress of the creative industry.

They include Eunice Darko, CEO of Manye & Mantse Clothing, Nana Afriyie Frimpong, Costume Designer and Film Producer, Lydia Ashitey, award-winning make-up artist, Natalie Fort, television presenter, Tunisia Tagoe, CEO of Ladies Entrepreneurship Club, Gifty Anti, Rosalin Kyere-Nartey, Regina Odigie-Olatoyo, Eritha Glover, Sharon Dede Padiki, and Kuukua Eshun, award-winning filmmaker and writer.