AWiM22: GBV undermine women in media
The six African Women in Media Conference welcomed media professionals from different countries to discuss the issue of policies and regulations towards gender equality in media. It also touched on how women are portrayed in the media and how the issues relate to women and girls in Fez, Morocco which was the destination of this […]
Fighting the digital gender gap through media
There are two different realities people across the world face when it comes to digitalisation. On one hand, the expansive and transformative landscape of digital technology provides new systems of life that are leading economic development and new ways to socially interact with people continents apart. Online platforms like social media have become the day-to-day […]
Media can effectively report economic cost of GBV
Gender-based violence is first and foremost a human rights issue but it also presents social, community, and economic challenges to survivors, their families and society at large. Media outlets working to increase awareness of the epidemic should factor in fees accumulated by survivors such as healthcare, legal, and even transportation costs in reporting cases of […]
North African newsrooms: disability and gender
Both disability and gender have historically been factors in stigma and prejudice. In the MENA region, women with disabilities remain particularly marginalised. Poverty, healthcare bias, and cultural attitudes often mean that women with disabilities face more hurdles in getting their voices heard. Access to education and the formal workforce is also less prioritised for women […]
Equal inheritance rights is a panacea for national development
Earlier this year, 35-year-old Nnenaya Onu was reported to have lost her life to men alleged to be her cousins who beat her up, strip her naked, dismembered and burnt her alive in her father’s compound. Her only crime was demanding a share of her late father’s properties. News of her death which occurred on […]
This is how Egypt can address cyber violence
Earlier this year, Bassant Khaledâs death made headlines across Egypt and even internationally. Pieces of her story were widely shared across social media before the whole picture came to light. A young man had blackmailed her with faked photos of her after she rejected his advances. She died by suicide not long after, and left […]
Eradicating child labour is crucial for education
Makumi Matano* is a 10- year-old, Standard Three pupil at Amani Primary School in the Mwanza Region of Tanzania. Her academic performance dropped as a result of her parents overworking her thus denying her time to study. I spend much time doing household chores and performing small businesses. I donât have any time to concentrate […]
Victim tropes still common in coverage of persons with disabilities
It’s time to ditch the stereotypes and cover persons with disabilities as equal members of society who are more than their disability, writes Jackie Lidubwi People with disabilities experience inequalities across many aspects of society. They are often denied access to opportunities available to their non-disabled counterparts. A UN writeup on disability and the media […]
Equal representation still a dream for women in Uganda
When the 11th Ugandan Parliament is sworn in next month, it will have more women than the previous one, maintaining the country’s above-average rank in gender equity in politics. While currently ranked at number 37 out of 193 countries in the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s list, this above-average performance belies the stagnation that has choked the move […]
What can we do about the missing voices of women in the news?
Gender inequality is entrenched in Africa: In governments, in organisations and even in media. In newsrooms, women are underrepresented at every level, as well as in news coverage. A report released in December 2020 revealed the marginalisation of womenâs voices in news coverage around the world. In The Missing Perspectives of Women in News, study authors audience strategy expert Luba Kassova and AKAS […]
