Tems, a well-known Afropop singer from Nigeria, has pointed out that women in the music business still face problems, especially a general lack of respect.

Tems shared in an interview with BBC Africa that she thinks her experience as a woman helps her to make changes. Tems told the BBC, “I just think that women aren’t really respected in the industry. As a woman, I’m the perfect person to start something like this.”

The singer, who has won two Grammy awards, talked about the challenges she faced at the start of her career, like the difficult choices female artists often have to make in the male-dominated Afropop world. She said, “I realised that you always have to give something up. You always have to pay a price. And I wasn’t willing to pay many of those prices, and there weren’t many choices.”

Even though the music style is becoming more popular around the world, male singers like Burna Boy, Davido, and Wizkid are still the most popular, while female singers like Tiwa Savage and Yemi Alade continue to face problems because of their gender.

To fix these problems, Tems recently started The Leading Vibe Initiative, a program to help young African women in music. The project started in Lagos with workshops, classes, and talks to improve the skills and increase chances for female singers, songwriters, and producers.

Tems encouraged new artists to set clear personal limits and be themselves in their careers. She advised, “What are the things you wouldn’t do for fame, and what are the things you would do?”

Earlier this year, Tems responded to people making fun of her body online by saying that it is important to accept yourself. She said, “It’s just a body; I will gain and lose weight. I never hid my body; I just didn’t feel I needed to prove anything to anyone.”

Since her first EP came out five years ago, Tems has worked with famous people like Beyoncé and Rihanna, has over 17 million listeners on Spotify each month, and has performed at festivals around the world. She will also be performing with the British band Coldplay at their sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium.

Besides music, Tems is now a part-owner of the US soccer team San Diego FC, showing that she wants to do more than just perform. She said, “I don’t think of myself as just a singer, a musician, or an artist. I’m much more than that.”

Tems hopes that The Leading Vibe Initiative will change how people see women in African music and make it easier for them to succeed and gain respect.