Zimbabwean women — once confined to such careers as teaching, nursing and secretarial studies — have now broken those professional barriers and are gradually making their presence felt in the arts industry. 

And they are successfully taking art as a business from which they can earn a living.

Although most would want to believe otherwise, the fact remains that arts can sustain livelihoods if a business approach is adopted.

One entrepreneur that comes to mind is the international pop singer Beyonce Knowles who now has her own clothing line, apartments, perfume range and is selling millions in record sales.

The diva is now living large and is a well-respected businesswoman because of her approach to music as a business.

On the local scene, we have our own successful talented gospel singer Shingisai Suluma who left teaching to pursue a career in music showing that music can be just as enriching.

Speaking at the two-day creativity enterprise course held for women musicians, Pamberi Trust Gender Projects officer, Batsirai Chigama urged artistes to play an active role in arts as entrepreneurs.

"Instead of whining over being relegated in the music industry to second class ranks, the onus is on women to stand up and prove their worth.

"Women should stop making excuses, but should positively look at their unharnessed power and ability to change the status quo," she said.

Chigama said music was also a business just like farming, sewing and cross boarder trading.

Dudu Manhenga, the jazz sensation, echoed the same sentiments stating that women artistes have the talent, but are scared of the unknown.

She said writing lyrics is not different than writing business plan, it is only that as musicians we let ourselves down by taking music as a hobby giving credence to the myth that music does not pay.

"It is better to aim high and miss than aiming low and hit.

"Music can be planned, the same way as business. We need to understand the business concepts as it helps in developing our music, increase our knowledge and protect ourselves and our art," said Manhenga.

Creative Enterprise Course is an initiative of the British Council and Zimbabwe Culture Fund.  Pamberi  Trust’s  gender project FLAME is honoured to extend this noble idea  in a bid to promote and educate the women artistes.

The workshop was well attended by women musicians who included gospel divas, poets and urban groovers like Joyce Simeti, Primrose Dzinga, Eve Kawadza, Patience Musa, Dudu Manhenga, Rute Mbangwa, Plaxedes Wenyika-Joka among others.