For generations, African women have played a critical role in the political, economic, social, artistic and spiritual growth of our continent. Many have not received due recognition for their incredible contributions. I Want to Be Like Her is my way of paying tribute to 10 exceptional African women, both living and past. They include writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; director general of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Cameroonian lawyer and LGBTQ+ rights advocate Alice Nkom; and the late Kenyan environmentalist Wangarĩ Maathai.
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These brave trailblazers have changed – and are changing – narratives about Africa. They are examples of what African women are able to achieve and are proof that our continent needs more women in leadership positions. In this image I am posing as Angélique Kidjo, a singer, songwriter and composer from Benin, who has produced 16 albums and won five Grammy awards. When she was in high school, Kidjo created the word “batonga”, which means “get off my back, I can be whoever I want to be”, as a response to bullying boys. It is now the name of her charity foundation which is supporting the education of young girls in Africa.
To tell these stories, I decided as an actor and model to impersonate each of the women in a series of photos that represent their profession or accomplishments – or both. After realising the strength of the attachment they all have to their own cultures and traditions, I added elements of African lifestyle and crafts to the images, as well as, in this case, two “silhouette” figures draped in ndop cloth.
The idea behind the silhouettes is to show how culture can contribute to the particular identity and strength of these women, from Ngozi Adichie’s use of the Igbo language in her books, to the particular ways Nkom, Okonjo-Iweala, Edna Adan and Maathai wrap their head ties, to Kidjo’s use of different African languages and instruments in her songs.
This attachment and faithfulness to the continent is something I wanted to be present in the images to suggest that African culture and traditions have a role to play in shaping future generations of African female leaders. The ndop cloth, which originates from western Cameroon, was chosen for its beautiful patterns and symbolism. Before being popularised, wearing ndop cloth was restricted to royalty and important officials. It is said to symbolise power, majesty and intelligence; attributes which I believe apply to all the women in the project.
A soundtrack containing excerpts of inspiring speeches from some of these women accompanies the images. This is an ongoing project: I plan to feature at least another 30 women from even more countries, and to turn it into a children’s book. Girls have to know that they too can be instruments for Africa’s development, that they are the leaders of tomorrow and that, just like the women profiled, they can influence and inspire future generations with their work and achievements.
Stella Chuisse is a Cameroonian film director, actor and model. An exhibition featuring images from I Want to Be Like Her is showing at the Centre d’Art Photographique Reza in Châteauvillain, Haute-Marne, France. Follow her on Instagram at @stellatchuisse