The Power of Art: Voices Rising Against Gender-Based Violence

At Know Your Rights Ethiopia (KYRE), we believe that art is not just an act of creativity — it’s an act of courage. Art gives young people a way to express what words often cannot capture: their fears, their hopes, and their vision for a just society.
This belief came vividly to life at our recent “Voices Rising” School Art Festival, held at SOS Student Village in Hawassa, where dozens of students used paint, poetry, music, and performance to challenge gender-based violence (GBV) and reimagine what equality looks like in their communities.

Art as Expression, Art as Power

For many of the students, this was their first experience using art to express their personal reflections on GBV — a topic often considered taboo.
Some chose to paint bold images of girls breaking chains, others wrote poems about courage and friendship, while a few performed moving dramas about standing up for one another.

“Sometimes it’s hard to say what you feel,” one student said quietly after sharing her painting. “But when you draw it, people really see you. They feel your pain, but they also feel your strength.”

Each brushstroke, poem, and performance was a declaration: we will not stay silent.
These creative expressions reminded everyone present that young people are not passive observers of violence — they are powerful agents of change.

A Celebration of Collective Action

The festival was more than an exhibition; it was a celebration of community collaboration.
Local organizations and advocates joined hands with KYRE to make the event a meaningful platform for dialogue and connection.
Representatives from Mizan Young Lawyers Association, Talit Rise Up, and Merahit served as guest speakers and facilitators, sharing insights about legal protections, community support systems, and the importance of engaging both girls and boys in GBV prevention efforts.

Their interactive Q&A sessions sparked deep conversations among the students.
Questions like “What can I do if my friend is being harassed?” and “How can we make our school safer?” filled the room — proof that awareness was transforming into action.

One facilitator reflected, “What I saw today wasn’t just talent — it was leadership. These students are shaping a new kind of movement, one that uses empathy and creativity as tools for justice.”

Bridging Awareness and Action

By the end of the festival, it was clear that art had done something that formal lectures often cannot: it built connection.
Students began to see that speaking out against violence could take many forms — through a song, a painting, a short play, or even a quiet conversation between friends.
The event also emphasized that preventing GBV requires everyone’s participation — students, teachers, parents, and local organizations working side by side.

As one KYRE facilitator shared, “When young people see that their creativity can make people listen — that’s when confidence takes root. That’s when advocacy begins.”

Beyond the Festival: Sustaining the Movement

The “Voices Rising” art festival is part of KYRE’s broader mission to create safe, inclusive, and transformative spaces for adolescents across Ethiopia.
By combining creative expression with rights education, KYRE ensures that young people not only learn about GBV but also internalize what it means to challenge it in their daily lives.

In the months following the event, several participating schools expressed interest in forming art-based youth clubs and peer-education circles to keep the conversation alive.
Some students even volunteered to mentor younger peers — teaching them how to use art as a medium for reflection and advocacy.

This growing ripple effect reinforces what KYRE has always believed: when given the space and encouragement, young people will find their own language of change.

Looking Ahead

KYRE envisions expanding the Voices Rising initiative to new regions and integrating art-based workshops into our school partnership programs.
We plan to continue partnering with local organizations, educators, and youth networks to amplify adolescent voices and make schools safer, more creative, and more equitable.

Each festival, mural, and performance is a reminder that gender equality isn’t only a policy goal — it’s a cultural shift that begins with empathy, expression, and community care.

Together, we’re building a generation that sees art not just as beauty, but as power — power to heal, to connect, and to change the world.

#VoicesRising | #ArtAgainstGBV | #EndGBV | #AdolescentsAgainstViolence | #AdolescentMatters