Nelly Ating has been documenting the plight of child victims of Boko Haram, in the norther part of Nigeria. Ating, a photojournalist, focuses on the trauma inflicted on the children by the militia. While telling the stories of children caught up in the crosshairs of conflict is Ating’s driving force, she told AWiM News that…
Culton Scovia Nakamya, a reporter at BBS Television in Uganda, was the only female journalist on Robert “Bobi Wine” Kyagulanyi’s campaign trail. On Wednesday, December 30, 2020, she joined Kyagulanyi, the main opposition candidate for the January 2021 election, who was heading to Kalangala, a tourist district that is part of the popular Ssese Islands. Nakamya was looking forward to visiting the island for…
Janet Otieno was editing the final page of a magazine for the Citizen, a Tanzanian newspaper, when she received a call from human resources. It was 5pm in April 2020, about a month after the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Tanzania. Janet, the acting managing editor and features editor at Mwananchi Communications in Tanzania, stopped mid-sentence…
Sexual harassment continues to rear its ugly head in the workplace, thereby becoming an issue of global concern. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) defines it as “a sex-based behaviour that is unwelcome and offensive to its recipient.” The Australian Human Rights Commission defines it as “an unwelcome sexual advance, unwelcome request for sexual favours or…
My story started late at night when I received a late night call from my superior which I was tempted to ignore as I was so sleepy thought it was my wake up alarm. Little did I know that it was a wakeup call for me. He asked me to try and apply for the…
“Life is a test, never give up” Journalism is not for a faint heart! Every Female journalists around the world has a story to tell about the terrible ordeal they (have) had been through while in the line of their duties. Some say they missed opportunities, promotions or those ‘big’ assignments because they said no…
As I walk through Lindi area of Kibra, the largest slum in Kenya and Africa to conduct interviews for my pitch, so many questions linger in my mind considering the rate of crime; how safe am I? How safe are my equipment? Could there be someone tracking me since I look more of a stranger?…
There is no lie in the claim that social media is a power tool in discovering opportunities that are way beyond what we expect. I learned about African Women in the Media through a social media post from an acquaintance. Since the pandemic has created a lot of spare time, I decided to research about…
To think I almost missed this training! I heard about AWiM’s RCCE programme through a forwarded WhatsApp message in one of the groups I am in. The lady who forwarded it wrote: “guys jaribuni” translated as “guys try your luck.” I applied for the training immediately, then I also forwarded the link to a friend to try her luck. I am on a maternity leave, and both electric and internet services at my place had been interrupted for almost a week….
In this episode with Emmy-nominated journalist, Ruona J. Meyer, we talk investigative journalism, how to pitch yourself and your stories, and making use of the platforms available to you. Her undercover investigation ‘Sweet, Sweet Codeine’ highlighted the plight of young Nigerians addicted to codeine syrup. Less that 24 hours of broadcasting Sweet, Sweet Codeine, the Nigerian government banned the import and manufacture of codeine-based syrup. In 2019, Ruona became the first Nigerian journalist to be…
A new Africa beckons, one that fosters high visibility, maximum impact and borderless bonds. This is evident in the take-off of the Africa Continental Free Trade- a phenomenon that will not only unify Africa but also offers more opportunities for everyone As a leading organization that seeks to connect people in the media space to…
In July, journalists across Africa gathered in Nairobi, Kenya to showcase the reporting produced by African women working in a variety of media. At this year’s African Women in the Media (AWiM) conference, which was started in 2016 by Dr. Yemisi Akinbobola, and has as its mission to positively impact the way media functions in…
