CFP: African Women in Media 2019 Conference & Festival

African Women in the Media 2019 Conference & Festival 

in partnership with African Union Commission

Theme: SHOWCASE

Proposals are invited for a three-day conference and festival in Nairobi, Kenya

Date: 25-27 July, 2019

African Women in the Media, in pursuance of its objective to bring together media practitioners and scholars in the field of media, communications and cultural studies, presents its 3rd annual conference in Nairobi, Kenya. With its theme being SHOWCASE, AWiM 2019 conference and festival will feature keynotes, panels, workshops, exhibitions, film screenings, networking opportunities, the AWiM Pitch Zone hosted by commissioning editors from international and national media organisations, and much more. We will also be launching the AWiM Hackathon as we enter the last two years of African Women’s Decade (2010-2020).

We welcome proposals for papers, panels, workshops and film presentations, from both academic and industry speakers and trainers.

Participants may draw on perspectives from Media, Communications and Cultural Studies, including Journalism, Marketing  Communications (Advertising & Branding), Political Communication, Public Relations, Cultural Studies including Film Studies and Production, Performing Arts, Gender Studies, ICTs, Media Education and other such relevant disciplines.

Furthermore, participants are invited to consider the following themes as it related to, media in Africa:

• Addressing African Women’s Decade (AWD) objectives
• Media & Audience response to continental initiatives and global movements like #MeToo
• Innovation in media content and delivery
• Challenging negative patterns in representation of women in Africa
• Issues of access, independence and public interest
• Addressing gender gaps and equality in the industry and representation of gender equality in media content
• Identifying enabling business models for African media

Topical areas of interest to reflect on include (but not limited to) the following:

• Access and Citizen Empowerment
• Advertising and Privacy
• Alternative Audiences
• Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Learning
• Blockchain, Empowerment and Media
• Communication and Development
• Communities and Networks
• Digital Empowerment
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Ethics and Trust
• Fake News and Truth
• Feminism and Political Participation
• Gender Mainstreaming and Policies
• iHealth
• International Law and Human Rights
• Media Entrepreneurship and Leadership
• Media, Technology and Robotics
• New Art
• Post-Truth
• Post-Human
• Religion and Conflict
• Representation
• Terrorism
• Transmedia
• Sustainability and Environment
• Women Entrepreneurship
• Young Audiences

Please send abstracts of 150 words and a short bio by Monday 18 January 2019 to:

Dr Yemisi Akinbobola (cfp@africanwomeninmedia.com, yemisi@africanwomeninmedia.com)

Confirmed Keynote Speakers

Dr Dorothy Njoroge

Dr Njoroge is an Assistant Professor of Journalism at the Unites States International University (USIU), Kenya, and Chair of Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK). She holds a PhD in Media Studies from Southern Illinois University, USA, and has several yeas of experience in communications and development for various NGOs.

Lola Omolola, Founder, Female IN (FIN)

Lola Omolola is a Chicago-based Community Engagement Strategist who has successfully mobilised over one million women for her Facebook group Female In (formerly Female in  Nigeria). She has two decades of experience working in radio, TV and digital project management. FIN has become an effective platform for social change, and Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg highlighted Lola and FIN as a model for building meaningful communities.

Key Dates

The deadline for submitting abstracts is Monday 28 January 2019 at 23.59 GMT

• 18 December 2018 – Abstract submission opens
• 7 January 2019 – Early Bird registration opens
• 28 January 2019 – Deadline to submit abstracts
• 11 February 2019 – Decisions on abstracts are announced
• 08 March 2019 – Deadline for participation confirmation
• 08 April 2019 – Draft of conference schedule
• 10 May 2019 – Early bird registration closes
• 10 June 2019 Full paper submission deadline
• 25-27 July 2019 AWiM19 Conference & Festival

Please send abstracts of 150 words and a short bio by Monday 18 January 2019 to: Dr Yemisi Akinbobola (cfp@africanwomeninmedia.com, yemisi@africanwomeninmedia.com)