I remember it so clearly. I know the pain, trust me, I really know that pain and I have been able to survive to be the strong person that I am today. I used music as an escape and, at some point, worked up enough courage to speak about it so I could start healing. I want to help others who, like me, have endured abuse because they are poor or are dependent on their abusers

I want every young girl in Liberia to normalise working hard and being her own boss. Let us work towards making Liberia a better place, because I believe it is us, the women, who can do it.

It came as a surprise, but I am grateful. I hope this award brings more of a spotlight to the issues of women and children in Liberia. I like to think that the Campaign Award doesn’t only belong to me, but to the hundreds of young people I have had the opportunity to work with over the years, including the thousands of children, survivors, and victims of sexual abuse in Liberia. This award is for every young Liberian who’s on the front line fighting for social change, justice, and respect for human rights every day. This award is for my mom, aunties, and all the women in my circle who have experienced sexual or domestic violence. Thank you for inspiring my work and for giving me a reason to help make Liberia a safe place.

Female artists are fighting to exist. For sure we have a lot of female musicians in Mali but most of the time the projects and their music belong to men – husbands, producer, management. Musically we are not always free. I hope in the future there will be more female artists who can express themselves freely and compose instead of just singing.

My problem was that I felt ashamed of feeling sad or angry. Now, I don't hide my vulnerability in my lyrics. There's no way I was going to get raped and not get something out of it. I learned about power and hope and forgiveness. I like who I am now and I wouldn't be who I am if that hadn't happened.

I stand with fellow women, girls, children, youth and people with disabilities, to advocate for an end to gender-based violence and promote access to education. As an artist, I feel that I can make a difference.

We have some female rappers here in Morocco who are very strong. But I think that the thing we need more of is just helping each other out. I think that if we had more communication and more love between female artists, we’d all express ourselves more. At the end of the day, it’s music, it’s art, and it’s sharing messages.

[Music] gives a lot of young people who can’t express themselves in any other way – which is probably why they’re in the youth justice system in the first place – it gives them a voice.