Influencers ask male rappers and musos to spread GBV awareness

Keep The Energy is a page on Instagram which was established after the brutal murders of Jesse Hess and Uyinene Mrwetyana in 2019.

The page helps raise awareness for gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa and “fight gender-based violence against women, children and LGBTQIA+ persons”.

There have been more than 250 posts since it started in September 2019, which speaks loudly about the crisis South Africa is facing.

The call for influencers

In its call for influencers to help raise awareness, the page notes a recent surge of gender-based violence in South Africa.

“Some influencers have used their platform to create awareness, but many of them have been going on their daily lives. We ask them to join us in spreading awareness and trying to put an end to gender-based violence.”

Influencers respond

After asking Instagram users to tag South African influencers, 740 comments accumulated. Most of these were tags and pleas to influencers.

One user commented that silence from influencers did not necessarily mean they do not support the movement. It might rather mean some were victims or survivors of GBV themselves, making it a sensitive subject for them.

Aisha Baker, the creator of Baked The Blog and @bakedonline on Instagram, intervened as well. She pointed out that influencers are humans too and may also be survivors of GBV.

In addition to this, many other influencers such as make-up artists and content creators Rushana Isaacs and Victoria Kayser responded with hearts in support of the pages post.

However, the response that stood out the most in the comment section was that of Aqeelah Harron Ally, known as @Fashionbreed on Instagram.

For starters Harron Ally thanked the page for always keeping the energy. She also said this page was her and many other female influencers’ go-to page for GBV news.

Use the male voice

The highlight of her response was when she called on male rappers and musicians to spread awareness.

She mentions that female influencers tend to influence other women. However men, such as AKA, Cassper Nyovest and Youngsta, would have more reach when it came to South African men.

“As female influencers, we may have a big platform and it definitely comes with responsibility,” she wrote.

“But it doesn’t always mean it gets seen by the right people, also known as the men killing and raping our women.”

With this response, there is a new approach. Instead of calling on influencers in general, the call should focus on scouting male influencers. This includes rappers and musicians who have a bigger reach on the men in South Africa.

After all, who are the ones who need to be influenced?