ActionAid’s Exclusive Cover of I’m Every Woman

Produced for ActionAid’s 6 Degrees Project by Ivor Novello winner (and President of Epic Records) Amanda Ghost, and featuring vocals from Róisín Murphy, Sinead O’Connor, Micachu, thecocknbullkid and Alessi’s Ark, the track is inspired by the story of Hajara Mukyala, a 20 year-old single mother from Kampala, Uganda.
ActionAid presents … ‘I’m Every Woman (6 Degrees re-work)’ has taken the original classic and given it an addictive haunting soulful twist, featuring diverse and compelling vocals from an eclectic and exciting mix of female talent.

The Six Degrees project is inspired by the idea that we are all only six introductions away from everybody else on the planet. Using the theory, Amanda found that she was able to connect herself to Hajara, even though they have never met.

Hajara lives in one of Kampala’s poorest slums. She was raped at 14 and sent away by her parents because she became pregnant. With no other means to support herself and her daughter, Hajara has had to earn a living as a sex worker. Now, with ActionAid’s help, she is being trained in tailoring and would like to set up her own business and leave prostitution for good.

Amanda said: “When I found out that I was connected to Hajara I instantly thought, I’m Every Woman. But I wanted to re-record it so that it’s darker and more melancholic.

“Violence against women is a serious issue and takes away the already limited choices that women in poor countries have. I want that to click for people when they hear the track. I want people to be inspired, to get involved and do something.”

Track production began on International Women’s Day and is launched on the 100th anniversary of the first suffragette hunger strike.

Kate Bishop, women’s rights campaigner for ActionAid said: “100 years on from the first suffragette hunger strike, women around the world continue to risk their lives in the ongoing fight for equality. We hope that the release of I’m Every Woman will raise awareness of the ongoing struggles women in poor countries face as they try to overcome extreme poverty.”

No matter where we are in the world, we’re in it together. Show your support for women around the world fighting for an end to the violence and discrimination that keeps poor women poor. Download I’m Every Woman and share it with six friends.

  listen to the track here:
http://www.actionaid.org.uk/6degrees/?page=free-download