Leadership and Governance – Media Focus On Africa

Media Focus on Africa wins two prestigious awards for promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women

Media Focus on Africa (MFA) has made its mark as a leading organization in the promotion of gender equality and empowerment women in Kenya.

On Friday 3rd March 2023, MFA was honored with two prestigious awards at the National Diversity and Inclusion Awards and Recognition (DIAR) Awards ceremony.

The first award was for the overall winner in the category of NGOs promoting gender equity. This award recognizes MFA’s continued commitment to promoting gender equality in Kenya and beyond through the Ms President project. MFA has consistently worked through innovative media programs to raise awareness about gender inequality and challenge the socio-cultural norms that underpin gender inequality. At the same the programs empower women across the country. This award shall spur MFA onto greater efforts and boost the organization’s unwavering dedication to the cause of contributing to the realization of a more equal and just Kenya.

The second award recognized MFA’s Ms President program as the best women empowerment initiative. The Ms President program is a groundbreaking initiative that seeks to show to Kenyans the possibility of female head of state in Kenya. It also aims to empower Kenyan women by giving them the skills and knowledge they need to become effective leaders in policy and decision making spheres of country through the Ms President Academy.

The Ms President program has already made a significant contribution in bridging the gender gap in the political representation and policy/decision making realms in Kenya. 2 Ms President alumni are members of the 13th National Assembly. Another 2 are members of the 3rd County Assemblies. 1 served as a Chief Administrative Secretary in the regime of President Kenyatta while another is a current member of the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee. Ms President equips the women with leadership skills, builds their confidence and is helping to break down socio-cultural barriers thus contributing to the realization of a more inclusive society.

This award is testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in the program.

In accepting the awards, MFA’s Country Director, Harrison Manga, expressed his gratitude to the organizers of the DIAR Awards and all the partners who has supported MFA’s work over the years. He said, “We are honored to receive these awards, which recognize the hard work and dedication of everyone at MFA. We remain committed to the cause of promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women in Kenya and across Africa. We shall continue to dedicate our best efforts, imagination and innovation to this cause until we achieve our goal of a more equal society through the use of media “

Angel Mbuthia is a rising star in the world of politics, leadership and public service.

Not only is she the Ms President season 2 winner, she is a member of the Kenya National Youth Council Advisory Board, and the Chairperson of the COMESA Youth Advisory Panel (COMYAP). She is also the Secretary for Gender and International Relations in the All Africa Students Union, based in Accra, Ghana.

Angel’s journey in the Ms President began with her membership of the Mwamko Mpya Party, where she made a name for herself through eloquent and incisive presentations on behalf Mwamko Party. She connected effortlessly with people from different backgrounds.

Her hard work and dedication led her to winning the second season of Ms President. Ms President aims to bridge the gender gap in political representation and participation as well in public policy and decision making positions.

Throughout the competition, Angel impressed the judges with her quick thinking, charismatic personality, and ability to work under pressure. She also demonstrated a strong commitment to social justice and equality, which resonated with the audience.

In the final round, Angel faced off against five other finalists, delivering a powerful speech on the importance of education and the role of women in politics. She received the majority of the votes from the audience through a voting system, making her the winner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2HCzODcyUg

Angel’s win sends a powerful message to young women everywhere, showing them that they can achieve their dreams and make a positive impact in their communities.

As the winner of Ms President season 2, Angel will be awarded a cash prize of USD 20,000 for her to invest in a community project of her choice. She will get support from Media Focus on Africa and other partners to implement her community project and other programs that align with her vision as Ms President.

Our winners for the 2nd Season of #MsPresident are;

Angel Mbuthia – #MsPresident winner
Bina Maseno- 1st Runners up
Milkah Righa- 2nd Runners up#MsPresidentFinale #SheCanLead pic.twitter.com/H9bKazse1b

— Media Focus on Africa (@Media_Focus) November 17, 2022

Angel’s impressive list of accomplishments and her victory in Ms President are a testament to her great leadership capacity and her commitment to making a positive impact in her community, Kenya and the world. With her passion, dedication and hard work, there is no doubt that Angel Mbuthia will continue to make a difference in the world of politics and leadership. She’s definitely one to watch.

Angel Mbuthia Is Ms President Season 2

Over 750 women and 20 episodes later, we have a new Ms President. Angel Mbuthia from Kiambu County emerged the winner of Ms President Season 2 during the grand finale that aired on 17^th November 2022.

‘’Every boy and girl deserves an education. It is through education that I am here with you today. I will use this opportunity to champion for change,’’ she said in excitement.

Bina Maseno from Nairobi County came in as the 1^st runner’s up while Milkah Righa from Taita Taveta County came in as the 2^nd runner’s up. Coming in close behind were the rest of the other contestants; Nuru Muhammed (Kwale County,) Pauline Onguko from (Siaya County) and Frida Karani (Embu County)

The 2^nd Season of Ms President was made possible by our partners The Canadian High Commission in Kenya with additional support from UN Women in Kenya and The European Union.

Speaking at the event, Janina Cocker the Head of Cooperation in Kenya at the Canadian High Commission in Kenya said that it was important to recognize the accomplishments of the women who have been a part of the show.

‘’Today we celebrate not only the finalists but all the women who participate in this season and the previous season,’’ she said.

Anna Mutavati, the UN Women in Kenya Representative who also spoke at the event echoed similar remarks. She also noted the importance of the show, especially during this election year.

‘’Ms President Season 2 could not have come at a better time because more women are taking up positions in leadership. The 2022 General Elections saw a record number of women take up top positions in government, ‘’ she said.

Among the guests was Season 1 winner Nereah Amondi Aketch. She shared her excitement at getting to see another crop of women compete in the 2^nd season while noting that there was still much to do in getting more women in leadership and politics.

Ms President was created to empower women to become key players in preventing the spread of violent extremism and radicalization. It continues to strengthen the institutional and operational capacity of civil society actors and media practitioners to prevent violence against women and protect human rights.

The Country Director of Media Focus on Africa, Harrison Manga shared highlights about some of the previous Ms President contestants who have gone on to taken up seats in government.

‘’Ms President has demonstrated that Kenya has an abundance of talented and capable women leaders,’’ he said.

The Rise Of Ms President Contestants

The women of Ms President continue to soar in different leadership positions even after leaving the Ms President Leadership Academy.

The Ms President show was created to enhance women’s participation in political leadership and decision making in Kenya through a multi-media program. Since its launch in 2019, the show has continued to attract both local and international media. This has given the women a platform to highlight the issues that they are passionate about.

Additionally, 55% of Ms President Contestants have reported that Ms President has provided them leadership opportunities not available to them before. As Season 2 of Ms President continues to air, the women who have participated in the show continue to leave their mark in government and other areas of leadership in Kenya.
Honorable Umulkher Harun, who came in second in Season 1 of Ms President has been nominated to be a Member of National Assembly by the ODM Party to represent the youth. She is also the founder of Kesho Alliance, an NGO that exists to improve education by promoting and advocating access to quality education, youth and women empowerment, peace, and security.

Honorable Irene Mayaka who was also a finalist in Season 1 of Ms President has been nominated to be a Member of the National Assembly to represent workers by the ODM party. This comes after a previous nomination in 2019 to the Nyamira County Assembly also by the ODM party. Another Season 1 Contestant who also garnered a seat in the government is Nadia Abdalla. She was appointed by President Kenyatta, to be the Chief Administrative Secretary in the ministry of ICT and Youth.

In Season 1 of the show over 1000 contestants applied to be on the show while over 750 applied to be in Season 2. There are many more examples of Ms Presidents who continue to rise up the ranks in public service as others seek elective leadership positions. 10 Ms President season 1 and 5 Ms President season 2 contestants were candidates for various seats during the August general election. We are proud to be associated with these powerhouses and we cannot wait to see what they will do next.

Countrywide Auditions for Ms President Season 2 Kick Off

Auditions for the second season of Ms President Reality TV show have kicked off with over 300 women getting a shot at being the first female President of the republic of Kenya following successful shortlisting of more than 700 applications.

Ms President Season 2 will contribute to enhancing women’s p participation in political leadership and decision making in Kenya through a multi-media program complemented with community dialogue and capacity strengthening for key stakeholder groups. Coming in the backdrop of the 2022 election makes Ms President Season 2 relevant and timely.

Media Focus on Africa began the auditions in Eldoret on the 28^th – 29^th of March at Sirikwa Hotel. Eldoret auditions include qualified participants from the following counties; Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia, Nandi, Bungoma and Turkana.

Later on the team will head out to Kisumu for the 31st of March- 1st April auditions, where qualified participants from the following counties will audition; Homabay, Siaya, Migori, Kisii, Busia, Nyamira Vihiga and Kakamega, followed by Isiolo on the 4th of April- 5th April. Auditions here will include qualified participants from Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, and Marsabit.

This will be followed by Nyeri, where qualified participants from the following counties will audition; Nyeri, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Embu, Tharaka Nithi, and Meru, followed with Nakuru, with participants from the following counties; Bomet , Kericho , Narok , Nyandarua, Laikipia , and Baringo, followed with Nairobi with participants from; Kiambu, Machakos , Makueni , Kitui , and Kajiado then wrap up the auditions in Mombasa where particpants from the following counties will audition; Kilifi, Kwale, Taita Taveta, Tana River, and Lamu

The auditions include both verbal and written interviews before a panel of three judges from the Media Focus on Africa. Successful candidates will be notified of their results by the end of April. The auditions in various venues across Kenya will see 50 women selected to join the Ms President Academy. At this point, production for the Ms President show begins.

“We are looking for a qualified woman who is bold enough and ambitious to take up the President role in the future. ‘’- Frenny Jowi auditions judge.

The objective of Ms President is to change Kenyans’ perception and attitude towards leadership by women in communities and in the country.

Kenya’s constitution provides for equality in representation between men and women. However, in political leadership, women are significantly underrepresented. Following the 2017 election, female MPs make up only 22% of the National Assembly, 31% of the Senate and only 6% of the Governors.

Ms President Season 1 saw several of the participants take up notable leadership positions that have seen them do tremendous things in the society. 55% of Ms President Contestants have reported that Ms President has provided them leadership opportunities not available to them before. Three examples: Nadia Abdalla, Mombasa County contestant has since been appointed Chief Administrative Secretary in the ministry of ICT and Youth. Betty Adera, the Nairobi County contestant is now President of KANU Political Party Women Congress, a member of the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) technical team and Patron of the Young Women’s Forum in Africa by the Africa Youth Trust. Linet Mavu, Taita Taveta contestant has been appointed by the President to the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee. Many of Season 1 contestants are currently running for various MP and MCA positions.

MS PRESIDENT: SEASON 2

After successfully producing and airing Ms President Season 1, Media Focus on Africa has launched a bigger and better Season 2. We have officially opened up the application process and women from across the country can now apply.

What is Ms. President?

Ms President is an entertaining, educating, and thought-provoking Reality TV show that seeks to portray to a national audience the capacity and ability of women to lead effectively. The objective of Ms President is to change Kenyans’ perception and attitude towards leadership by women in communities and in the country. Learn more about Season 1 here.

Why is Ms President important?

Women are usually not found in leadership positions. In many of our communities in Kenya, they are not generally perceived to have the skills, knowledge, or social status needed to bring about meaningful change.

Ms President Season 2 will contribute to Enhancing Women’s Participation in Political Leadership and Decision Making in Kenya via a multi-media program complemented with community dialogue and capacity strengthening for key stakeholder groups. Coming in the backdrop of the 2022 election makes Ms President Season 2 relevant and timely. Through the TV series, Ms President 1 introduced to the national audience young, fresh, intelligent and ‘presidential’ women from across the country many of these women have thrown their hats into the ring and are seeking various elective seats during this year’s general election. Others have been appointed into senior public service positions e.g. CAS Nadia Abdalla of the Ministry of ICT and Youth.

Just like with Ms President Season 1, the centrepiece of Season 2 will be the reality TV series. Ms President 2 will introduce to the national audience another crop of intelligent, articulate and ‘presidential’ women from diverse backgrounds with an eye on the 2027 general election and for appointment to senior public service positions.

The Impact of Season 1

55% of Ms President Contestants have reported that Ms President has provided them leadership opportunities not available to them before. Three examples: Nadia Abdalla, , Mombasa County contestant has since been appointed Chief Administrative Secretary in the ministry of ICT and Youth. Betty Adera, the Nairobi County contestant is now President of KANU Political Party Women Congress, a member of the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) technical team and Patron of the Young Women’s Forum in Africa by the Africa Youth Trust. Linet Mavu, Taita Taveta contestant has been appointed by the President to the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee. Many of Season 1 contestants are currently running for various MP and MCA positions.

The President of Kenya H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta endorsed the program. It also recorded commendation/endorsement from other top government officials and international dignitaries. , Chief

The reality TV show was nominated under the best TV documentary/TV show/TV reality category of the 9th Edition of the Kalasha International Film and TV awards 2019.

Who are we looking for?

Are you a Kenyan woman? Aged between 20-60 years & living in Kenya? With a diploma or higher qualifications? An excellent communicator? Agile & creative? Are you a leader actively involved in your community? Do you have the vision to transform your community? Do you believe in women’s leadership? If you are, then we are looking for you.

What does Ms President mean for the participants?

Millions of TV viewers and social media visibility.
A doorway to greater opportunities.
Prestige of being ‘Ms President’.
Mentorship, leadership, coaching and networking.
Interaction with high level national and international actors.
National and International profile for your favourite cause.
Making the idea of a female president in Kenya more relatable.
Winner – 20,000 USD, Runner Up – 15,000 USD, 2nd Runner Up – 10,000 USD.

If you believe you have what it takes to be the next Ms President, follow the instructions below to apply.

Download the questionnaire here;http://shorturl.at/jovDL
Fill it in and send it back to mspresidentkenya@gmail.com

MS. PRESIDENT SEASON 2 LAUNCHED

Media Focus on Africa has in a colourful event launched the second season of Ms. President Reality TV show, opening applications for all women who are community leaders across Kenya.

Ms President is an entertaining, educative, and thought-provoking Reality TV show that seeks to portray to a national audience the capacity and ability of women to lead effectively. The objective of Ms. President is to change Kenyans’ perception and attitude towards leadership by women in communities and in the country.

Speaking at the event, the chief guest Hon. Racheal Shebesh, Chief Administrative Secretary, Ministry of Public Service & Gender said that having training is a gateway to a great opportunity. She called on political parties to support women and give them opportunities and platforms that are meant to push them to great leadership roles.

‘I was once one of the chosen few to be sponsored to attend a political training for young leaders. It propelled me to who I am today.’ She said.

Ms President 2 will introduce to the national audience another group of women of different backgrounds, who are intelligent, articulate, and ‘presidential’, with an eye on the 2027 general election and for appointment to senior public service positions.

Among the invited guests were Season 1 contestants who are already great change-makers in our society. One notable example is that of Hon. Nadia Abdalla, who through Ms President show was appointed Chief Administrative Secretary in the ministry of ICT and Youth by Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Speaking at the launch, Acting High Commissioner for Canada, David Da Silva called on aspiring women leaders to have courage and step out.

‘’To all aspiring female leaders, I urge you to put yourselves out there. It is not easy given the challenges you will face along your journey but it is worth it.’’ He said.

H.E Henriette Geiger, the European Head of Delegation to Kenya joined the meeting virtually. She thanked all the supporters of Ms President and stressed the need to push for women’s representation in various leadership roles.

Echoing Her Excellency’s remarks, Rukaya Mohammed, UN Women Country Director said that women were underrepresented in the political landscape and that there was a need to continue pushing for the implementation of the two thirds gender rule.

Politics in Kenya is characterized by low representation of women in decision-making despite women constituting 50.5% of the Kenyan population.

Women’s political representation is still below the constitutional threshold of 33% and further below the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 50%.

Do you believe you have what it takes to be the next Ms President? Who are we looking for?

Are you a Kenyan woman? Aged between 20-60 years & living in Kenya? With a diploma

or higher qualifications? An excellent communicator? Agile & creative? Are you a leader

actively involved in your community? Do you have the vision to transform your community?

Do you believe in women leadership?

If you you have all these qualities, please click on the link below to download the application form. Here you will also find details on how to submit the form once you have filled it.

www.shorturl.at/jovDL or www.rb.gy/0afkus

2022 WOMEN ASPIRANTS SUPPORT

Media Focus on Africa (MFA) is currently implementing a project “Strengthening the democratic participation of women in Kenya” which is supporting 20 women aspirants for various elective seats from the counties of Narok, Nyandarua, West Pokot and Kajiado. These 4 counties were chosen because they are among those counties in Kenya that have some of the least numbers of elected women throughout Kenya’s history. The support in form of training is exposing the women to Strategic election planning and digital media skills for campaigning especially with the reality of covid 19 and the expansion of digital technologies to many rural communities in Kenya.

So far, the women have benefited from two separate training sessions from Faridah Salim, a Governance Expert and Pioneer Member, Kisumu County Assembly.

They have also benefited from inspirational talks/mentorship from 2 elected women: Hon Zuleikha Juma, Kwale County MP and Hon Sally Okudo MCA from Central Seme Ward in Kisumu County. The 2 leaders used their own experience in elective politics to not only encourage and motivate the women but to also share much needed skills and tips for women to navigate the political environment.

This project is supported by the Canada High Commission’s Fund for Local Initiative, CFLI. Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is at the core of the government of Canada International Policy- the Feminist International Assistance Policy.

KENYA 2022 ELECTIONS: FINDING THE GENDER BALANCE

We are effectively into the election year. Kenya’s general election are due to be held in August 2022. In the last few weeks there’s been a heightening of political activities across the country. As with every electoral cycle, the issue of participation and representation of women will come into sharp focus. The constitution requires that not more than two thirds of the members of any elective body consist of one gender. 11 years after the constitution was passed, this threshold is far from being realized. Following the 2017 election, women made up 7.9% of elected MPs (from the 290 constituencies), 6.4% of Governors and Senators and 6.6% of elected MCAs. Regionally (East Africa) Kenya lags behind in the representation of women.

A variety of reasons account for the low representation of Kenyan women in political leadership. Top of the pile is the impact of age old social-cultural norms that define gender roles in our communities. This has proved a major hindrance to women achieving political leadership. Political campaigns tend to be quite expensive. A study estimated the cost of running for an MP seat in 2017 to range between 20-35 million Kenya shillings. Due to socio-cultural norms that govern ownership and access to property and capital, women are greatly disadvantaged when it comes to raising resources for campaigning.

High media visibility of political candidates contributes to likelihood of success, but women candidates are less visible in the media. A 2019 global study commissioned by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, found that men remain the vast majority of quoted experts and sources in political news coverage and that the share of voice by men is 7 times that of women. The male dominance of political leadership spaces means that male candidates in competition with female candidates benefit from the unconscious bias of the voters i.e. voters unconsciously equate political leadership with men. The dominance also means that male candidates have abundance of role models to learn and get inspiration from. Female candidates competing with male candidates for the same seat and with similar qualifications and experience must work at least twice as hard to compete favorably.

As we head towards the August 2022 election, the need to increase the number of elected women representatives across the board has never been more apparent. In order for this to happen, female candidates for election require a lot of support. Strategic election planning training can make a significant contribution towards the success of female candidates in election. This refers to the capacity to approach electoral campaigning strategically. It involves analysis and use of data on demographics, past elections and voter trends to inform a candidate’s campaign plan. Strategic election planning allows a candidate to efficiently and effectively utilize limited resources and time during campaigns while greatly increasing the chances of success. Female candidates for election can also greatly benefit from increased visibility as a result of effective branding and messaging using digital/social media platforms. Digital/social media can be a useful alternative platform for visibility for female candidates during the campaigns. Proper branding on these platforms can also lead to getting noticed and profiled on traditional media which ultimately leads to getting known by more electorates. Learning from, inspiration and motivation by senior elected female colleagues can also add great value to female candidates running for election, particularly for those running for the first time.

With funding from the Canada High Commission’s Fund for Local Initiative, Media Focus on Africa (MFA) is embarking on a project to support 20 women aspirants for various elective seats from the counties of Narok, Nyandarua, West Pokot and Kajiado. The goal of the project is “Strengthening the democratic participation of women in Kenya”. These 4 counties were chosen because they are among those counties in Kenya that have some of the least numbers of elected women throughout Kenya’s history. The support in form of training will expose the women to Strategic election planning and digital media skills for campaigning. In addition the women shall receive motivation and inspiration from elected female colleagues. The project will run for the next 4-6 months.

This project is in line with MFA‘s priority focus area of gender equality. Over the last 5 years, MFA has implemented a number of exciting and successful projects on gender equality including the recently aired popular TV series ‘Ms President’. Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is at the core of the government of Canada International Policy- the Feminist International Assistance Policy.

Image courtesy of UN.

BARRIERS WOMEN FACE WHEN RUNNING FOR POLITICAL OFFICES

On July 29, 2021, The Canadian High Commission and Media Focus on Africa engaged in discussions with Ms President participants who will be vying for elective seats in the 2022 elections in Kenya. These discussions are part of Canada’s and MFA’s objective to promote and support women’s political participation. These discussions are going to take place over a period of months in the lead up to the elections.

In the discussions held at the High Commissioners Residence, the commission and MFA sought to understand the individual journey of the women, their experiences in their quest for leadership, the strategies they were putting in place and the barriers women face when they run for office.

Some of the conversations are captured in short video. Watch HERE