A stage play titled, ‘Hear Word’, will be staged in five cities across West Africa, including Lagos, Benin and Abuja (Nigeria), Accra (Ghana), and Dakar (Senegal). The aim of the play is to mark the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.
According to a statement sent to Merrymakers, the play, which is organised by a non-profit organisation, iOpenEye Africa Foundation, ‘utilises the power of performance art to challenge the status quo, and empower and improve the independence, rights, and status of women’. In the last eight years, the initiative has produced stage performances, women’s skill-building workshops and open dialogue events that address factors which limit the safety, economic independence, leadership participation and societal value of women.
The initiative is supported by the Ford Foundation and is also aimed at building equitable communities by shifting cultural norms and beliefs that perpetuate gender inequality and gender-based violence.
Elaborating on the inspiration behind the foundation, the play’s producer, Ifeoma Fafunwa, stated that it is a vision of a world where all citizens are informed, empowered, safe, equally valued, and can contribute meaningfully to nation-building, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic status.
The play, which features actors such as Ufuoma McDermott, Elvina Ibru, Zara Udofia-Ejoh, Debbie Ohiri, Oluchi Odii, Chika Elumelu, Mofe Okorodudu, and Ejirooghene Asagba, has been seen by over 100,000 live audience members across the globe.
It is scheduled to run from November 19 in Benin City, Edo State, to December 10, 2022, in Accra, Ghana.
