Introduction
This article seeks to contribute to an understanding of the gender dynamics in the artistic field in Africa, as a support to a diagnosis carried out by Selam’s program PANAF. The case study is Mozambique. We seek to explore the gender perspective and its impact on access to opportunities. We also explore the acceptance of art professional women in rural areas, looking at what is understood about gender, while identifying possible challenges to achieving gender equality in the artistic sector. In this article was 8 women who work in the arts participate as speakers and they represent the sectors of arts.
The methodology approach was open interview, with a guiding form. This model allowed participants a voluntary completion on: their knowledge and experiences on gender definitions; women’s access to opportunities; and challenges faced. in the sector; a literary review was carried out for a general contextualization.
Our theoretical foundation is supported by Gasperetto, Vera (2021) on Gender Studies and Mozambique, as well as Blanco, Eugenia Rodrigues and Domingos, Maira Hari as well as Tradition, Culture and Gender in Development programs, (2011), Benedict, Ruth. Cultural Patterns (1934).
The context
The creative and artistic space in Mozambique is male dominated. However, there have been a few women who have had – and still have – remarkable and outstanding carriers. Names likes Paulina Chiziane, Reinata Saidimba, Lucrecia Paco and Manuela Soeiro are national and international references. In the past 10 years, a younger generation as also made itself present in the sector. It is with part of these women that we have discussed the status quo os the sector. We seek to understand how gender has influenced or not, their professional work.
On Gender
Despite the dialogues around gender within the artistic sector being incipient, there is a great effort to increasingly involve female (ex: Feminist boom fire from Movfemme) as well as male artists in reflection circles on gender.
Some of the interviewees for this article understand gender as a set of characteristic elements that