From Disabilities to Strengths
- Finland Supports Zambian Film Industry
and Work Against Gender-Based Violence
The crutch does not make her any slower. Musola Cathrine Kaseketi with her radiant braids moves about as nimbly as anyone, and talks passionately about her work and films. Kaseketi works as the Executive Director of Vilole Image Productions (VIP), which was founded by Kaseketi on 2002. VIP makes fictional films, documentaries and trains aspirant film makers, thereby developing the film industry in Zambia in general. Its office is located in the city of Livingstone near the Victoria Falls.
- VIP’s ideology is to defend and promote human rights of the marginalized groups in the society through audio-visual tools, Kaseketi explains. – The emphasis is on the situation of the disabled and women.
Embassy of Finland in Zambia supports VIP through Fund for Local Cooperation (FLC). VIP’s project Awareness Raising through Film, Addressing and Preventing Discrimination and Violence against Women with Disabilities in Zambia runs from December 2015 until March 2017. In the project VIP has produced a short film (Tuso – Help) and a documentary (Long Wait to Justice) which describe gender-based violence (GBV) against disabled women.
Vilole Image Productions and Finland
This is not the first time Kaseketi and VIP works with Finnish partners. Kaseketi has many memories from her visits to Finland, and files and posters concerning her cooperation in Finland, including Kynnyskino Disabled Film Festival, are found at the VIP office.
- My first contact to Finland was during a disability congress that was hosted by Zambia in 1990. There I saw Kalle Könkkölä on the dance floor, dancing about like anybody in his wheelchair, and this really inspired me and gave me confidence as a woman with a disability, Kaseketi describes.
Kalle Könkkölä is a Finnish activist and former MP who is known for defending the rights of people with disabilities in Finland.
Since this encounter Finland has had a big role in Kaseketi’s life. She has had many Finnish supporters during her career, starting from those who sponsored her film studies in South Africa. Kaseketi mentions organizations like Fidida(Link to another website.), Kepa(Link to another website.) and Abilis(Link to another website.). Kaseketi has been to Finland in total three times. The first time was in 2002 on a trip to show her graduation film and to speak about the Zambian film industry to different audiences.
Building Capacity and promoting good governance
In addition to supporting VIP’s filming activities, Embassy of Finland supports VIP through strengthening its capacity on a wider scale. VIP went a process called post-award assessment, which the Embassy of Finland sometimes commissions on its partners organizations During the assessment several issues related to good governance are discussed and the administrative practices of the organization developed. In the assessment, topics like documentation, development of operational manuals and the possible need to develop the capacity and knowhow of the employees were discussed at the VIP office in Livingstone. The targets set and recommendations for the administration made during the assessment process will be followed up throughout the project period.
These kinds of assessments promote good governance and efficient use of development funds, and through that prevent misuse of funds. The assessment can also be seen as support for the development Zambian civil society organizations in general, and its effect in the organization will be visible also after the current project supported by the Embassy of Finland comes to an end.
Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Zambia
At the moment VIP is editing the material shot earlier this year for the film and the documentary supported with FLC funds. The topic of these films, GBV, is a very acute problem in Zambia. According to 2013-2014 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey(Link to another website.), almost 43% of women aged 15-49 were found to have experienced violence. Since that there has been progress, but the problem persists.(Link to another website.)National Gender Based Violence Crime Statistics by Victim Support Unit of the Zambian Police(Link to another website.) show that more than 18 000 GBV cases were reported in 2015, but this most likely is only a fraction of the actual cases.
The Anti-Gender-Based Violence Act (ACT) was enacted in 2011 in Zambia, and this year fast track courts to expedite gender-based violence cases(Link to another website.) were launched. However, the ACT does not address women with disabilities.
- In an interview this year with the Zambian Minister of Gender, Honorable Luo Nkandu, the Minister acknowledged that at the time of passing of the ACT, people did not have women with disabilities in mind, Kaseketi says. - Therefore, there will be need to re-visit the act and ensure disability is addressed.
VIP thus addresses a big problem in the Zambian society, especially with its focus is on women with disabilities.
The results of the project
- When the films are ready, there will be community screenings and sensitizations in different locations in Zambia, Kaseketi explains.– The screenings are not only a possibility to create awareness about GBV and women with disabilities, but provide also the possibility for different stakeholders to interact and discuss the topic.
There will be more room for discussion in the workshops organized by VIP later this year, and in December VIP will, together with other stakeholders, organize a conference in which GBV and disabled women will be discussed on a higher level.
But first the film needs to be finished, and the work in VIP Livingstone office continues.