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About Us

About Us

We inspire, Support And Empower

Brief History

African Women in Media started as a Facebook group in July 2016 with the aim to positively impact the way media functions in relation to African women. Our members are African women from a diverse range of media backgrounds. AWiM held its first convening event in July 2017 in Birmingham, UK, and continues to organise its annual conference which tours African countries. AWiM transitioned to an international non-governmental organisation in 2019 and collaborates with a variety of partners to achieve its vision.

Our vision

One day, African women will have equal access to representation and opportunities in media industries and media content.

Our Mission and Values

African Women in the Media (AWiM) aims to contribute to the creation of enabling environments for African women who work in media industries, and to change the way African women are represented in media content. It does this through research, advocacy and partnerships that impact positively the way media functions in relation to African women. Through AWiM events we create opportunities for knowledge exchange, building networks, and economic empowerment of women in media.

Meet the wonderful team

Here’s the most talented team

DR. YEMISI AKINBOBOLA

C.E.O & Co-founder

Dr Yemisi Akinbobola is an award-winning journalist, academic, consultant and co-founder of African Women in Media (AWiM).

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BAMIDELE OGUNLEYE

Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer

Bamidele is a gender and development expert with more than 10 years of experience leading capacity building

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IRENE ODERA

Programmes Officer

Irene Odera is a passionate project management professional, leader, evaluator, strategist, student, and traveller. She has close

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JOY ANWULIKA ADIGWE

Community Engagement officer

Joy Anwulika Adigwe has a Bachelors degree in Mass Communication from Babcock University. She is a freelance

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SAM EJIWUNMI

Communications and Branding Officer

Sam is a Communication Strategist with over 10 years’ experience, he has worked with both local and

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BUKOLA AMOYEDO

Accounting Officer

Bukola is an experienced accountant with more than three years of dedicated work as a finance officer. She holds

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Join us as a consultant

We cordially invite you to join us and together let’s shape the future of African Women in Media.

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Meet the Board Members

Here are our board members

VERAH OKEYO

Vice President

Verah Okeyo is an award-winning multiskilled global health reporter and editor with ten years of experience in

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SUMEYA GASA

Secretary

Sumeya Gasa is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker based in Johannesburg. In 2016, Gasa won the CNN

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OLUYINKA ESAN

Member

Oluyinka Esan maintains an interest in the social relevance of Nigerian media and film messages. She brings non-

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African Women in Media (AWiM) aims to contribute to the creation of enabling environments for African women who work in media industries, and to change the way African women are represented in media content.

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DR. YEMISI AKINBOBOLA

C.E.O & Co-founder, AWiM

Dr Yemisi Akinbobola is an award-winning journalist, academic, consultant and co-founder of African Women in Media (AWiM). AWiM’s vision is that one-day African women will have equal access to representation in media. Joint winner of the CNN African Journalist Award 2016 (Sports Reporting), Yemisi ran her news website IQ4News between 2010-14.
Yemisi holds a PhD in Media and Cultural Studies from Birmingham City University, where she is a Senior Lecturer. She has published scholarly research on women’s rights, African feminism, and journalism and digital public spheres. She was Editorial Consultant for the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 commemorative book titled “She Stands for Peace: 20 Years, 20 Journeys”, and currently hosts the book’s podcast.
She speaks regularly on issues relating to gender and media. In 2021 she was recognized as one of 100 Most Influential African Women.

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BAMIDELE OGUNLEYE

Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer

Bamidele is a gender and development expert with more than 10 years of experience leading capacity building and advocacy initiatives that place women empowerment at their core. As co-founder and COO for AWiM, Bamidele oversees the organisation’s operations. Dele is the lead on AWiM’s Visibility project an ambitious multi-year initiative to promote African women’s visibility on Wikipedia. Bamidele has a BSc (Hons) from Babcock University, an MSc from North South University and holds a research degree from the University of East Anglia.
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IRENE ODERA

Programmes Officer​

Irene Odera is a passionate project management professional, leader, evaluator, strategist, student, and traveller. She has close to 10 years’ experience working in implementation, research, and managing multi-faceted women-centered development programs for international non-governmental organisations. Her vision is a world of equal opportunity where every girl and woman, no matter where they are or what they do, can be the best version of themselves. Working with AWIM is yet another step towards this vision.

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JOY ANWULIKA ADIGWE

Community Engagement officer

Joy Anwulika Adigwe has a Bachelors degree in Mass Communication from Babcock University. She is a freelance writer, a researcher and a member of the first Co-hort of She Creates Change Nigeria, 2021. One of her many life’s dreams is to change her society for better as much as she can, which is part of her role with AWiM.
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SAM EJIWUNMI

Communications Officer

Sam is a Communication Strategist with over 10 years’ experience, he has worked with both local and foreign organizations where he managed, developed and executed top tier communication campaigns that have delivered efficient results at the best price possible. He is also a researcher who is well published in the area of digital and social media. This expertise as a researcher in the communication field blends perfectly with his ndustry experience. He leads the communications team here at AWiM.
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BUKOLA AMOYEDO

Accounting Officer

Bukola is an experienced accountant with more than three years of dedicated work as a finance officer. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Education from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Additionally, she is currently in the final stages of completing her professional exams with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). Besides her professional pursuits, Bukola actively engages in her creative interests during her spare time. She specialises in designing and crafting beautiful female African dresses. Moreover, she passionately imparts her knowledge and skills by providing training to aspiring young ladies who share a similar love for fashion.
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VERAH OKEYO

Vice President

Verah Okeyo is an award-winning multiskilled global health reporter and editor with ten years of experience in mainstream media in East and Central Africa. She is now a communication manager for an international non-profit, Jhpiego. Verah is also a storytelling and media coach and has worked with organisations such as the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the Africa CDC and Agakhan University to train journalists across the continent on various elements of science and health journalism. Before joining communications, Verah was the founding editor of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) desk at Nation Media Group, East and Central Africa’s most prominent media house where she fundraised for hundreds of thousands of grants for various journalism projects from organisations such as Microsoft, Google and the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting. Verah holds a BA in Media Communication and Technology (Electronic option) with IT with a minor in Creative and Performing arts from Kenya’s Maseno University and an MSC in global media and communications from the London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom. She also has a post-graduate diploma in education.
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SUMEYA GASA

Secretary

Sumeya Gasa is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker based in Johannesburg. In 2016, Gasa won the CNN Africa Journalist Award: Ecobank Economics category; Vodacom Journalist of the Year Regional Award; and 3rd Prize at the Taco Kuiper Awards. In 2018, She was listed in the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans and, shortly after, named the overall winner in the Journalism category of the KwaZulu Natal Young Achievers Awards. In the same year, Gasa won her second Vodacom Journalist of the Year Regional award. In 2020, Gasa was appointed Editor-in-chief of AWiM News. In 2021 Gasa was one of 15 participants selected as a Fellow in the Deutsche Welle’s inaugural Constructive Journalism Fellowship, and the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) Gender Justice Reporting Fellowship. Gasa has taught multimedia journalism courses at institutions such as the Market Photo Workshop, the University of Witwatersrand, and AWiM in collaboration with the African Union, European Union, Fojo Media Institute, and the International Labour Organisation.
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OLUYINKA ESAN

Board Member

Oluyinka Esan maintains an interest in the social relevance of Nigerian media and film messages. She brings non-Western perspectives to the study of media, film, and communication. Her study of production practices foregrounds inquiries into cultures of reception, offering insight to audience pleasures, meanings that are created and circulated, with a particular focus on women and children. Committed to bridging gaps between theory and practice, her quest is to develop knowledge and understanding of emerging cultures in the media and society – in particular media and film cultures for social and behaviour change communications. A Commonwealth University scholar, she holds a doctorate degree in Sociology from the University of Glasgow (1993). Prior to this, she had studied at the University of Lagos, in Lagos Nigeria where she bagged a B.Sc. Honours in Mass Communication in 1981. Thereafter she obtained the M.A. degree in Radio / TV from Ohio University, Athens Ohio USA in 1983. Oluyinka is now Professor in Broadcasting, Film and Development Communication at Caleb University, Imota Lagos Nigeria. Professor Esan has spent close to four decades in academia in Nigeria and UK – teaching and conducting research and applying knowledge in consultancy projects. Her teaching cuts across Radio/Television, Film, Advertising, and Journalism. Her research and publications reflect this versatility. Amongst her works is the Communication Cultures in Africa, an open access journal published by the Winchester University Press. She is its founding editor. She has also consulted for UN agencies, and others (Nigerian based non-governmental organizations) within the third sector.
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