Zimbabwe's aspiring female artists still 'frowned upon'

Zimbabwean artist Nothando Chiwanga points out that women make up more than half of the country's population of 15 million but are still vastly underrepresented in higher education and formal employment. Photo: AP

A self-portrait shows Nothando Chiwanga covering her face with a yellow miner's helmet while money spills over the edge of a traditional African reed basket she holds in her lap.

The artwork, a collage called Immortal, challenges age-old gender roles in a strongly patriarchal country like Zimbabwe by juxtaposing a helmet from an overtly male-dominated job with a delicately woven basket commonly used by women at markets.