Ghanaian singer Wendy Shay has taken a firm stance against the unfair treatment and objectification of women in the music industry.
During a recent interview on Berla Mundi’s Day Show on TV3, she expressed her dissatisfaction with the practice of labeling female musicians as ‘female artistes,’ while their male counterparts are simply referred to as ‘artistes.’
Wendy Shay passionately advocated for equal treatment, asserting that women in the music industry work just as hard, if not harder, than men and should be recognized as artists without any gender distinctions.
“It is not fair. First of all, I don’t even like the fact that people go like ‘female artistes’ because you don’t see our male counterparts being labeled as ‘male artistes’. They are seen as artistes so we should be seen as such. We are artistes,” she suggested.
She highlighted the dedication and efforts of female musicians like herself and Sister Efya, emphasizing that they put in a lot of hard work and deserve acknowledgment and credit.
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“Putting that aside, I think it’s not fair because there are so many women who are really working hard; like me, Wendy Shay. We have artistes like Sister Efya working hard. It’s about time Ghanaians or this part of our world acknowledge the hard work, effort and sweat we put in,” she mentioned.
Wendy Shay also addressed the challenges women face in gaining recognition and leadership roles. She acknowledged that there is still a prevailing cultural mentality that associates women primarily with household duties in this part of the world.
Despite this, she expressed hope that as time progresses, society will evolve to embrace women in leadership positions and appreciate their contributions in various fields, including music.
Wendy Shay’s advocacy for equal treatment and recognition of female artists is a notable step towards empowering women in the music industry and challenging gender biases.
