African Women in Media 2025 (AWiM25) Conference

Location: African Union Commission, Addis Ababa

Theme: Beyond Commitments: Advancing Policies for Gender-Safe Media 

Date: 4 – 5 December, 2025 

African Women in Media, in partnership with the African Union (AU), is calling for abstract submissions from media professionals and organisations, policymakers and regulatory bodies, academics and researchers, civil society organisations, and advocacy groups exploring the theme Beyond Commitments: Advancing Policies for Gender-Safe Media. The theme aims to explore and strengthen the frameworks that influence gender and youth (particularly young women and girls) representation and experiences in media across Africa. 

The AWiM25 conference theme is within the context of the recently adopted AU’s Convention to End Violence Against Women and Girls (AU-CEVAWG) and several key AU protocols addressing violence against women and girls (VAWG), promoting gender equality, and enhancing the protection of women’s rights across Africa. They include African Union Agenda 2063, Maputo Protocol, African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC), African Union’s Strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE), and African Union Gender Policy.

Similarly, as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action celebrates 30 years, these frameworks, together with AWiM’s Kigali Declaration on the Elimination of Gender Violence in and through Media in Africa by 2034 are critical in emphasising media awareness and policy action towards a more equitable and inclusive representation. 

The AWiM25 conference has three thematic strands described below, each rooted in the pressing need to examine and address the multifaceted dimensions of gender-based violence and align policy and policy frameworks with actions towards gender equity in and through the media. By foregrounding policy action, media accountability and economic equity, as well as the voices and experiences of women in the media, the conference aims to foster interdisciplinary conversations and collaborations across a broad range of topics. 

Thematic Strands: 

1. Media, Policy, and Regulatory Frameworks 

In this strand, we welcome submissions that foreground policy and regulation frameworks, modes, mechanisms and models in their analyses, considering their interoperability across different media stakeholders in Africa and their implications on the changing nature of media through digitisation. This may include, but are not limited to, works that: 

• Examine global, continental and/or regional media policies and regulations that promote gender equality, youth empowerment, and the elimination of VAWG. 

• Analyse strategies for ensuring media regulatory bodies adopt gender-sensitive and youth-focused approaches. 

• Examine best practices and case studies of effective policy implementation across African countries. 

• Examine and analyse gaps in existing regulatory frameworks to ensure inclusive representation of women and youth. 

2. The Rights of Women and Girls in Media 

In this strand, we welcome theoretical, empirical, practice and policy contributions that present, discuss and broaden the issue of women and girls representation/underrepresentation in the media. We invite contributions that explore and examine the current and future state of global and continental human rights instruments in the empowerment and inclusion of women and girls in media content and leadership. This may include, but not limited to, work that: 

1. Explore key human rights instruments like AU-CEVAWG, the Maputo Protocol, and the Beijing Declaration, focusing on their application in the media. 

2. Address challenges women journalists and young media professionals face, including workplace harassment and underrepresentation. 

3. Advocate for equitable representation of women’s and girls’ voices in media content and leadership. 

4. Propose strategies to integrate youth perspectives into human rights frameworks within media organisations 

3. Media, Technology, and Digital Rights Regulatory Frameworks 

In this strand, we welcome show and tell submissions that demonstrate tech-enabled innovations and/or fresh perspectives in shaping media narratives, storytelling, content creation, fact checking, countering mis- and dis- information, media management and production. Submissions may also integrate the media’s role in the ever-evolving landscape of technological innovation, and the multifaceted impacts of Generative AI and other LLMs on the media environment, and the regulatory frameworks which enable them. This may include, but not limited to, works that: 

• Identify platform accountability strategies to ensure digital spaces protect women and marginalised communities from online harassment.  

• Assess the impact of algorithmic bias on representation, examining how AI shapes visibility, misinformation, and content discrimination.  

• Examine the role of big tech and media platforms in upholding digital equity, including fair compensation models for content creators.  

• Strengthen regulatory interventions that prevent the exploitation of African and diaspora women in digital and AI-driven media spaces.  

General sub-themes that papers can address include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Gender-Based Violence and Media Accountability  

• Repatriation and Gender Justice  

• Media Freedom and Regulation  

• Digital Media Policies and Platform Governance  

• Media Ownership and Pluralism  

• Freedom of Expression vs. Hate Speech Laws  

• Data Privacy and Surveillance in Journalism  

• Public Service Media and State Influence  

• Media Ethics and Self-Regulation  

• Regulating AI-Generated and Deepfake Content  

• Intellectual Property and Content Rights  

• Media Laws in Conflict and Crisis Situations  

• Representation and Visibility in Media  

• Intersectionality in Media Narratives  

• Youth-Led Media and Digital Activism  

• Feminist and Youth-Centered Media Policy  

• Media as a Tool for Healing and Empowerment. 

• Gender and Youth Representation in Media Leadership 

• Regulating Harmful Content and Online Safety  

• Cybersecurity Threats and Solutions  

• AI and Machine Learning in Media  

• User Privacy and Data Protection  

• Digital Literacy and Media Education  

• Blockchain Technology in Media  

• Ethical Implications of Media Technologies  

• Digital Inclusion and Accessibility  

• Regulatory Challenges in Digital Media  

• Impact of Social Media on Journalism  

• Future Trends in Media Innovation  

Types of submission:   

We encourage and support creative presentations, designs and formats that provide attendees with the best experience. Please choose the presentation type that best fits your material and utilises your content in the greatest way.  You may submit either of the following for consideration: 

1. Paper– These are individual papers that offer deep dives into a targeted topic and can be submitted and presented independently.  

2. Panel discussions- This formal, thematic, 90–120-minute presentation focuses on a key issue. The overall abstract is to provide a coordinated presentation by three to four panelists, and possibly a moderator, on the general topic of the panel. 

3. Professional Development Workshop/Skill Building Workshop with 1 or up to 3 facilitators- Workshops are learning opportunities that provide attendees with hands on experience and/or in-depth lessons, group activities, and real-world case studies. 

4. Ignite Talks- Ignite Talks are five-seven minutes long. These presentations are given in rapid succession, one following another. 

5. Fireside chat– Fireside chats are relatively informal and are designed to explore ideas. Rather than presentations, speakers will prepare questions or ideas around a particular topic for discussion.  

6. Demonstrations- Demonstrations are formal 60-minute presentations that show how to use or apply a concept or tool.  

7. Multi-paper Sessions: Multi-paper sessions include three or more paper presentations on a common theme. Submit for these session types only if you are a group submitting a minimum of three papers you would like to present as part of one complete multi-paper session. Individual papers must be submitted using the “paper” session type. 

NEW to the AWiM Conference:  

In addition to the submission types above, this year we will also be accepting artistic and audiovisual submissions including but not limited to documentaries, short films, live podcasts, creative Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), screenplays, theatre, etc. 

 Submission Deadline: 30 April 2024. 

Note: ALL submissions should be formally made via the Abstract Submission Form and only papers shortlisted will be contacted.