Musicians Union of Liberia to address gender gap

This was made known by the body’s publicity chairperson, DJ J-Mark, who was speaking to Music In Africa ahead of an introductory ceremony of new MULIB executives.

The ceremony, which can be attended only by invitation, is slated for 23 March at Antoinette Tubman Stadium in Monrovia. A formal transfer from the old administration to the new one will take place before the induction of the freshly elected officials. An all-night celebration of Liberia’s musical heritage will close the ceremony.

As observers of the MULIB elections noticed, the new board is made up of a significant number of women. According to the results, women occupy the national secretary-general, national welfare officer and national organiser positions at MULIB. They also occupy the national treasurer and second vice-president positions. “Our gender inclusive team is a reflection of our outlook on this issue,” DJ J-Mark said.

But this is a far cry from Liberia’s music scene, which is heavily dominated by male singers and producers, according to a 2017 article on the Daily Observer. DJ J-Mark said MULIB was fully aware of the problem and was making efforts to ameliorate it. “Our vision is to create a level playing field for female participation in every aspect of the industry.”

He added that the new board would work towards assisting artists based overseas and those based in Liberia, the goal being the creation of “an environment in which our rights are protected, opportunities created, and our craft becomes a means through which we contribute to our society, and sustain our families”.

Although it appears many players in Liberia's music industry are excited about the new board, the election results did come with some controversy. The rival presidential candidate, Rokenzy Gemuba Smith, said he would seek legal redress.  “How realistic is it for me to get 45 votes,” he asked querying a process that brought Sammy Gray Gboguy victory with 292 votes.

For DJ J-Mark there was no illegality during the elections. “The process that resulted in the newly elected officials of MULIB was an open process,” he said. 

“Spearheaded by the Department of Culture Affairs at the Ministry of Information, Culture affairs and Tourism, a technical team comprising actors and stakeholders in our industry was set up, and many months of consultations were held with all parties leading to the elections, including the media. I can say with confidence that this was the most free, fair and transparent elections ever in the history of the Republic of Liberia.”