Press Release: Media Leaders Reaffirm Commitment to Safer, Gender-Just Media in Africa through Kigali Declaration Awareness Session

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: 25 June, 2025

On 23 May, 2025, African Women in Media (AWiM) convened a powerful Regional Awareness Session to advance the implementation of the Kigali Declaration on Eliminating Gender-Based Violence in and Through Media by 2034. The virtual gathering sponsored by the International Programme for the Development of Communication (UNESCO-IPDC) brought together media professionals, activists, and institutional representatives from across the continent to reflect on progress, share strategies, and commit to concrete newsroom actions.

The two-hour interactive session began with a grounding reflection of the Declaration’s purpose: to move beyond rhetoric and drive real change through institutional reform, ethical editorial practices, and survivor-centered reporting. Reflections from Jemima Beukes, Chair of the Kigali Declaration Committee, and Rizzan Nassuna, Policy Advisor and Committee Member, set the tone for a session rich with insights and momentum.

Participants heard success stories from Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Zambia, where signatories have already begun implementing impactful internal policies and awareness campaigns. In breakout discussions, groups shared and developed newsroom-specific actions, including the introduction of anti-harassment policies, proposals for public awareness campaigns using billboards, and ideas to link the Declaration’s work to global platforms like G20 and W20.

A key highlight of the session was the live walkthrough of the Kigali Declaration Dashboard—a user-friendly platform designed to help signatories:

• Submit and document aligned actions
• Track progress over time
• Access templates and reporting tools
• View initiatives by other media organisations and draw inspiration from progress made across the continent.

The session closed with a community photo and an invitation for attendees to continue the conversation. Attendees were encouraged to submit their next action through the Dashboard and nominate themselves for the Kigali Declaration Signatory Spotlight, which celebrates and amplifies success stories through AWiM’s channels.

“I think what the Kigali Declaration did for me personally and what it’s doing for my newsroom, is give us a common language. We don’t always agree on everything, but we agree that we want to do better. And the Declaration gave us a place to start from. It’s the first thing that felt like it wasn’t an add-on, but a foundation.” -Jemima Beukes

Next Steps

The session also explored forming regional and thematic working groups to deepen collaboration on key topics such as editorial ethics, policy development, newsroom culture, and digital safety. Interested individuals are invited to express interest and help shape the future of this support network.

Join the Movement

More than 100 organisations and individuals have already signed the Kigali Declaration. we invite more media professionals across Africa to join the movement and commit to making lasting change:

• Sign the Declaration: https://africanwomeninmedia.com/declaration/sign/
• Watch the Dashboard Walkthrough: https://share.vidyard.com/watch/fU4ienjkqYwH6YdVKdXfN2
• Submit a Spotlight: https://bit.ly/KD-Spotlight

Media Contact

Email: Lobna@africanwomeninmedia.com

Website: https://africanwomeninmedia.com/declaration/