When about 15 young women gather for a contest at the Silverbird Cinemas, Accra Mall on Saturday, March 11, it won’t be about the beauty of their bodies or faces but rather about the beauty of their brains and ability with words in the final of this year’s SheShe Slam.

Organised by the Ehalakasa poetry movement, the SheShe Slam is a spoken word contest for only women. The aim is to awaken and recognise female spoken word performers on the verbal art scene in Accra and beyond.

The first edition was held in 2022 and was won by Briana Buckman.

A poetry slam is a competition held in front of a live audience and a panel of judges. Participants, often not reading from a page, engage their listeners and try to win them over through the dynamics of tone, gestures, facial expressions and more.

There is always a prize at stake for winners.

Finalists in this year’s SheShe Slam are Keren, Maame Afua, Ansong, InCoreRect (duo), Angela Hlordzi, Esi Bella, Sandra Bonsu, Malgu, Nassam, She Northerner, Nura, AJ Lite (duo), Fidel, Ella Nessa (duo) and Tizamah.

The theme for this year’s contest, which is being held in commemoration of International Women’s Day 2023 is: Amplifying the Feminine Voice in a Male-Dominated Art World.

“The basic intention of Ehalakasa is to allow our women to take the stage to address and deal with issues relevant to our time,” said Sir Black, a leading member of the Ehalakasa movement.

“So the SheShe Slam is a lyrical battle between open-minded women who believe in the submission and exchange of thoughts through imagination and creativity.”

Special guest at the SheShe Slam final which begins at 7.30pm, is Poetra Asantewa, the brilliant, versatile, internationally-known performer and an ‘alumnus’ of the Ehalakasa movement.

Her presence at the SheShe Slam is expected to inspire the finalists to aim higher with their oratory skills.

Sir Black said they are all looking forward to a night of captivating performances from women eager to demonstrate their special abilities with spoken word.