VIDEO: Nneka Speaks Up For Women's Rights @ World Bank

"Ever since Nigerian singer Nneka released her debut album, Victim of Truth, in 2005, the diminutive star has been one of the most vocal advocates of anti-corruption and women’s rights in Africa. She continues beating that drum to raise awareness of her fourth album, My Fairy Tales, this time exploring the struggles of Africans in the diaspora. She recently stopped by World Bank’s headquarters to share her music and voice her views on women’s rights. “I use my music as a platform to (give voice) to such issues,” she says. “I grew up in Nigeria where women don’t have much freedom on many different levels. I was raised in a system where you respect the system through fear.”

Born Nneka Lucia Egbuna, she grew up in the Delta region of Nigeria before moving to Germany to study anthropology at Hamburg University. It was there she honed her songwriting skills and developed her voice on social issues. Nneka, who has shared the stage with acts such as The Roots, Femi Kuti and Damian Marley, lends her star power to NGOs like the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), where she is the cultural ambassador. She also co-founded the ROPE (Reach Out, Organize, Practice, Experience) Foundation, a charity supporting young people who want to express themselves through art. Most recently, ROPE teamed up with the WAGA Foundation (War Affected Girls and Adults), to help sexually abused women in Sierra Leone.

While she continues to help empower women through her music, Nneka offers this advice to fans: “Whatever you do, do it with confidence. Don’t let anyone intimidate you.”