{"id":55113,"date":"2025-08-04T13:34:20","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T13:34:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/dj-etania-urges-young-women-to-stop-relying-on-men-and-embrace-self-reliance\/"},"modified":"2025-08-04T12:56:29","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T12:56:29","slug":"dj-etania-urges-young-women-to-stop-relying-on-men-and-embrace-self-reliance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/dj-etania-urges-young-women-to-stop-relying-on-men-and-embrace-self-reliance\/","title":{"rendered":"DJ Etania urges young women to stop relying on men and embrace self-reliance"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Speaking in Kigali on Saturday, August 2, 2025, during a panel titled \u201cBeyond the Stage: A Creative Caf\u00e9\u201d, DJ Etania said women must shift away from dependency and build confidence in their own abilities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn Uganda, I started a program to show young girls that they should not depend on men to make a living,\u201d she said. \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t keep thinking about what men will do for you or expect them to rescue you. That needs to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The event, held at the VIP Lounge of Amahoro Stadium, was organised by SEEV Africa in collaboration with MTN Rwanda, Intore Entertainment, and KONTENT. It was part of the Giants of Africa Festival, which brought together creatives from across East Africa, including musicians, arts entrepreneurs, government officials, and development partners.<\/p>\n<p>Etania, 24, said she often encourages young women to take initiative rather than waiting for external support. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have to take your hands out of your pockets and work,\u201d she said. \u201cDon\u2019t sit at home thinking a man is going to take care of your life. Women should be more present in industries like entertainment, which are still heavily dominated by men.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She also emphasised that coming from a disadvantaged background should not be a limitation. Sharing her personal story, she noted that she was raised in a financially challenged household and had to push through difficult circumstances, including her mother\u2019s severe illness.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing born in poverty should not define your future,\u201d she said. \u201cWe should aim to create better lives for the generations that come after us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Paul Atwine, Executive Director of SEEV Africa, described the forum as a valuable space for collaboration between the creative sector and development stakeholders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe goal is to help Rwandan artists connect with international creatives, learn from their experience, and adopt successful business practices,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>This was the second edition of Beyond the Stage, following a December 2024 session at Norrsken Kigali that featured Nigerian artists Ruger and Victony.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91963 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/dj_etania.jpg\" alt=\"Ugandan DJ and media personality Etania Mutoni called on young women to stop relying on men for financial support and instead work towards achieving their own goals and self-reliance.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91962 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/dj_etania_2.jpg\" alt=\"Moderated by Mary Maina, CEO of KONTENT, DJ Etania spoke about her initiative in Uganda aimed at empowering young women to stop relying solely on men for their livelihood.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91961 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/dj_etania_3.jpg\" alt=\"Mucyo Sandrine, the founder of Beyond the Stage, was among the attendees of the discussion.    \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91960 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/dj_etania_5.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91959 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/dj_etania_4.jpg\" alt=\"The session attracted a diverse audience, including prominent Rwandan artists like rapper Kenny K-Shot.     \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91958 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/dj_etania_7.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91957 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/dj_etania_6.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91956 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/dj_etania_9.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-91955 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/dj_etania_8.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ugandan DJ and media personality Etania Mutoni has called on young women to stop relying on men for financial support and instead work towards achieving their own goals and self-reliance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000091964,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[75],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-55113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-homenews","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default 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