Top Nigerian artists, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Waje and Yemi Alade have teamed up with ONE Campaign, Save the Children, and Action 2015 to launch a theme song and video entitled, Strong Girl.
Produced by Cobhams Asuquo and featuring nine females African artistes, the song is a rallying cry to empower girls and women across the world. Already, the song has gone viral after a campaign featuring people taking selfies of themselves flexing their arms, with the hashtag #strengthie, to show solidarity for girls and women. The strengthie symbol is being used the promote the song worldwide, and notable women such as Malala Yousafzai, Danai Gurira, Shonda Rhimes, and Mary J. Blige began posting strengthies to their social media accounts in support of the campaign.
Talking about her involvement in the campaign, Omotola said. “I am fortunate to be a young woman living her dreams and a trailblazer of my generation but I also recognize that many women and girls are not so fortunate. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by the injustice of poverty and inequality. But when we invest in women and girls, we increase and accelerate the chances of overcoming extreme poverty.”
Waje, whose sultry voice is unmistakable and effective in delivering the hook, said the campaign means a lot to her. “This is one of the most profound things I have done in my life. I am doing this for the African woman so she doesn’t have to die in childbirth. I am doing this so that girls in rural Africa can complete primary school education. I am doing this because it is the right and smart thing to do. Empowering girls and women is an idea whose time has come.”
Yemi Alade did not fail to impress on the track, once again proving why she is one of Africa’s biggest vocalists and entertainers. She said: “In Nigeria, as in other parts of the world, it is obvious that girls and women are prevented from reaching their full potential due to social, cultural, and even legal constraints. That is why it is important for me as a woman, as a strong girl, to join my sisters from across the continent and tell the world that we can’t fight the injustice of extreme poverty without fighting the immense gender inequality that persists. Our leaders must invest more and better in the health, education and economic empowerment of women and girls so that they can unleash their human, social, political and economic potential.”
The Strong Girl campaign is already backed by more than 36 of the world’s most powerful women including Beyoncé, Meryl Streep, Lady Gaga, Angelique Kidjo and other leading women from the world of business, arts, politics and activism. They have written an open letter to Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel and African Union Commission chairman, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who will both host crucial summits in the coming months that should set us on a path to agreeing Global Goals that put women’s empowerment at their heart.
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