What a conference that was! AWiM21 had over 500 registered attendees and 133 speakers and trainers. We had an audience from over 45 countries. A huge thank you to all our partners, speakers, moderators, trainers, and attendees for making the annual African Women in Media conference the largest gathering on women’s rights and media development in Africa.
At the opening ceremony, Dr. Yemisi Akinbobola, the CEO and Co-founder of AWiM made a few announcements and to reiterate;
- With the support of Fojo Media Institute, we launched our women expert database SourceHer! We asked journalists and editors to commit to increasing the number of female expert sources they use in their content in 2022. Become a champion of this call by completing this commitment form;
Day 1: December 6th, 2021
The Keynote Panel on Building Resilience with our speakers, Phatiswa Magopeni, Dr. Sarah Macharia, and Lina Attalah draws on the experiences of our speakers as they discuss wide-ranging perspectives on the conference theme of building resilience and how the media landscape can support one another to build back better. | Watch here |
The Reporting and Investigating Protests Panel with panelists Azzarah Karim, Sharif Abdel Kouddous, and Halima Athumani and moderated by CPJ’s Angela Quintal. The objective of this panel was to interrogate and discuss the relationship between the media and the protest paradigm in Africa, exploring how mainstream media organizations portray collective action against the status quo and the structural, external, and institutional factors that affect media coverage of social movements.| Watch here |
The Intertwined? Women and information Disorder Panel with our panelists Dr Ganiyat Tijani-Adenle, Prof. Lai Oso, Dr. Raheemat Adeniran, Dr. Chikezie E. Uzuegbunam, Omowunmi Olaseinde, Dr. Chinwe Comfort Chinuanu-Akpuh, Dapo Olorunyomi, and Jamiu Folarin. This panel showcases several aspects of Information disorder, gender, and information sharing. It also explores topics such as the culture of gossip, rumour and information sharing patterns among Africans. |Watch here|
The first part of the Infodemic and the Media 1 panel brings speakers; Wemimo Adewuni, Assah Ndah Asongwed, Funmi Falobi, Emmanuel Sijuade, Teniola Philip and Adam Alqali. This is a panel discussion on the wave of misinformation and disinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic.| Watch here |
The Impact of COVID19 on Media panel features speakers: Comfort Ukwela, Nouha Belaid, Lilian Mukoche, Gladness Munuo, Noha Atef and Dr. Dorothy Njoroge. This is a panel analysis and discussion of the impacts of COVID-19 on the media industry and what the pandemic revealed about the true nature of women’s rights and gender equality in Africa and the media and how women might be better supported in a post-pandemic world.| Watch here |
The Media, Women and the Development Agenda panel with speakers: Dr. Adebisi Ogunmusire, Faith Oneya, Sarah Akrofi Quarcoo, Wynne Musabayana and Moky Makura. This session seeks to understand the lived experiences of women journalists covering development issues and the impact of their gendered experiences in contributing to development agendas in Africa.| Watch here |
Catch our first workshop on Reporting Women, The Solutions Journalism Approach with Solution Journalism Networks’ Trainers: Ruona Meyer and Fara Warner. This session is for women reporters and anyone interested in reporting that is women-focused; you’ll learn how to use the solutions journalism approach to cover your beat and end with a story brainstorming session, where our trainers answered specific questions about your next byline and proffered practical demonstrations on writing solutions journalism articles | Watch here |
Day 2: December 7, 2021
Plenary panel: Media Lounge with Women in News with Ferrial Haffajee and Pamella Sittoni. This is a session whose major objective is to empower, inspire and help guide women in the right direction of their careers and bring in older women who have made it in the industry to share their stories. From the conversation with both Ferrial and Pamela, we hope that more media women feel empowered to succeed in their careers despite the barriers that are usually against them. |Watch here |
Gender Sensitivity in the long-term perspective: Sustainable Journalism panel with speakers Lars Tallert, Dr. Theodora Dame Adjin-Tettey, Odelia Mtiamoah, and Dzifa Bampoh and moderated by ICIR’s Dayo Ayeitan. The session will present a new concept called sustainable journalism and specifically discuss current representations of gender in newsrooms in Africa, media management, and content. We will also discuss how sustainable journalism positions itself to ensure gender sensitivity in newsroom practices and production to affect a balance of social, economic, and environmental sustainability outcomes for women in the long term.| Watch here|
The second Panel on Infodemic and the Media II with speakers: Dr Admire Mare, Rebecca Birungi, Jennfier Ere Amapoere, Gbenga Sijuade and Teniola Philip and moderated by Teresia Chirwa-Ndanga. This session is a panel discussion on the wave of misinformation and disinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. | Watch here |
Effective Science Communication: How to write for The Conversation Africa Workshop with Trainers: Candice Bailey, Pfungwa Nyamukachi, Mr Adejuwon Soyinka and Dr Connie Nshemereirwe. This session will take a look at the value of science communication, looking at The Conversation Africa’s model, how we do it and why it matters. It will also feature teachings from an academic: why they think the process with the conversation helps to break down the science. |Watch here|
Media Representation Panel with Dr Beatrice Adeyinka Laninhun, Ijeoma Ajaero, Ruth Chatukuta, Gulsum Guler Ozen and Cynthia Ogana. This academic panel analysis will focus on a deeper understanding of how the media culture in Africa portrays and represents women, critically examining the role of the media in reproducing gendered social and cultural representations of women in society. | Watch here |
Developing Gender Policies Workshop with Trainer: Monica Laganparsad. This workshop will teach participants the importance of gender-responsive policies like e.g. women in leadership, hiring practices, paid time off etc. in our newsrooms sharing experiences from New Frame Media. | Watch here |
Breaking Barriers for Women Journalists panel with Prof. Margaret Jjuuko, Selam Mussie, Elsabet Samuel, and Solange Ayanone and moderated by Dr Yemisi Akinbobola. The main objectives of this session are to understand what the lived experiences of women journalists are, to hear perspectives on why those barriers exist and to posit how those challenges can be addressed. |Watch here|
Fact-Checking and Verification Workshop with Trainers: Opeyemi Kehinde and Gbenga Adanikin. This workshop will build skills on tools to use to verify information, data, photos, videos, and other materials to determine their authenticity. | Watch here |
Inclusion Panel with Jackline U. Lidubwi, Dr. Rhoda Ansah Quaigrain, Nancy Marangu, Belinda Nadine Nyanhete, Dina Farouk and Moderated by Judie Kaberia. This is an academic panel discussion on gender diversity in the media industry in Africa and the critical need to invest in and support efforts to develop and implement gender policies that ensure women journalists’ safety and inclusion in the workplace. | Watch here |
Day 3: December 8, 2021.
Watch the Agenda 2063 Pitch Awards ceremony
Media and Technology Panel with Speakers: Barbara Kaija, Kizito Namulanda, Innocent Tshukudu and Moderated by Donavine Smith. This is a panel discussion on how technology is changing the media landscape in Africa. From digitization to other technological trends, the panel will dive into what impact this has on the media industry and how journalists can leverage this change. | Watch here |
Media and Environment Panel with Speakers: Andiswa Matikinca, Madeleine Ngeunga, Amrita Gupta, Caroline Chebet and Mohamed Atani and Moderated by AWiM’s CEO Dr Yemisi Akinbobola. This is a panel discussion, co-designed with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) that will offer the gendered perspectives of environmental issues and climate change in Africa and how media organizations can collaborate with stakeholders to begin to address those issues including the availability of resources and opportunities to carry out deep investigative work, the lack of skill and/or knowledge to report competently on environmental issues and access to data and/or sources necessary for good reporting. | Watch here |
Media Changing the Narrative on Violence against Women and Girls with panellists Charity Moonga, Sumeya Gasa, Claret Adhiambo, Sunita Caminha and Aijamal Duishebaeva. This panel seeks to explore and discuss the narratives surrounding violence against women in the media. To explore how social media platforms can be used to change public perception. | Watch here |
Leadership and Diversity in the Media panel with panellists Tryphinna Dongwana, Pili Mtambalike, Nyaradzo Hazangwi and Wisdom Mdzungairi. This is a panel discussion about women in leadership in the media in Africa that is focused on empowering and inspiring journalists in their careers. The panellists will offer insight, ideas and challenges that women in the media are still facing to date. | Watch here |
Building Communities panel with panellists Candice Fortman, Nigel Mugamu, Natasha Kimani and Polly Irungu. This panel will highlight strategies of resilience and community building that can be used to push back and build strength in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and other seemingly insurmountable structural barriers facing journalists. | Watch here |
Podcasting and Women in Africa Panel with panellists Kim Fox, Yasmeen Ebada, Dr Jassmine L. Blanks Jones, Melissa Mbugua, Jedi Ramalapa and Msia Kibona Clark. This panel discussion will address the contributions of women of African descent to the podcasting ecosystem. Topics to be addressed include barriers to entry, podcasting as a tool of empowerment for women and, of course, success stories along with tips for starting a podcast. | Watch here |
Gender and Media Scholarship in Africa Roundtable with panellists Emilly Comfort Maractho, Dr Winston Mano, Dr Joyce Bazira, Prof. Audrey Gadzekpo, Dr Abena Animwaa Yeboah-Banin and Ivy Fofie. This roundtable will include a range of perspectives from media scholars on the nature of gendered media scholarship in Africa. The range of issues to be discussed include how media scholarship can enhance or exacerbate gendered life situations, how emerging scholarship in Africa represents women’s experiences, the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in media scholarship and how it can better be used to empower women media scholars. | Watch here |
Media, Women and Development Agendas Roundtable with speakers: Marwa Azelmat, Sekyen Dadik, Kiran Nazish, Miriam Watsemba, Amie Joof, Nonhlanhla Ngwenya, Reem Abdellatif, Wynne Musabayana, Mercy Mupavayenda and Basma Elmahdy. This roundtable presents a range of ideas about how the media has and continues to be used as a tool for development across Africa and how this role can be better harnessed to be diverse and inclusive of women working in the media industry.
| Watch here |
Gender Policies in Newsrooms roundtable with speakers Qaanitah Hunter, Joy Kaguri, Elsabeth Samuel, Bokani King, Monica Laganparsad, Anna Siya and Solange Ayanone. This roundtable will explore the steps taken by media organizations across Africa to ensure that their workplaces are equitable and inclusive.| Watch here |
