Powerful Play Addressing Gender-Based Violence to Premiere in Kenya
A renowned play that vividly portrays the experiences of black women facing racism, sexism, violence, and rape in the United States is set to be performed in Kenya as a powerful tool to raise awareness against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). The play, titled ‘For Colored Girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf’, will be part of a campaign called ‘Silenced No More’, which aims to address GBV in Kenya through a series of theater performances, debates, and discussions.
The campaign is a collaborative effort between the Danish-based and Kenyan theater/artistic director, Michael Omoke, the Danish Embassy in Kenya, the European Union, and various Kenyan stakeholders. The play will run from November 25, which marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, until December 10, the Human Rights Day, as part of the global 16 Days of Activism against GBV.
Although the play first exposed the hardships faced by black women in the US during the 1970s, it remains highly relevant to GBV incidents experienced by women and girls today. Cheryl Williams, the play’s director, emphasized that the issues highlighted in the play, particularly sexual and gender-based violence, are critical concerns that Kenya has been addressing and now demands action.
Performances of the play will take place in Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa, targeting diverse audiences across the country. Williams stated that the play aims to raise awareness about GBV while instilling hope in victims and survivors. The intended message for survivors of GBV is that they are no longer just victims but victors, having overcome the challenges they faced. By depicting these stories through cinematic plays, the objective is to spread hope and encouragement.
The ‘Silenced No More – Confronting Violence against Women and Young Girls’ project, of which the play is a part, aims to confront taboos surrounding GBV and address inconvenient truths by giving voice to victims who have experienced sexual and gender-based violence and female genital mutilation.
The play, written by the late Ntozake Shange, a playwright, poet, and author, has a universal appeal and resonates with women’s experiences worldwide, according to actress Melissa Kiplagat, who will be participating in the play. Kiplagat, known for her role in the first Netflix-licensed show in East Africa called ‘Country Queen’, praised the play for its empowering and positive nature.
The main cast members of the play have been selected from both Kenya and Denmark. This multinational collaboration aims to elevate the production and enhance its impact on audiences. By bringing together artists and performers from different backgrounds, the play’s message becomes even more powerful and globally relatable.
The staging of this influential play, coupled with the extensive outreach activities planned throughout the campaign, marks a significant step in raising awareness about GBV in Kenya. The global 16 Days of Activism against GBV provides an opportune moment to join the international community in urging an end to violence against women and girls.
