News – Media Focus On Africa

International Press Freedom Day: Celebrating the Freedom to Inform and Be Informed

Every year on May 3rd, we celebrate International Press Freedom Day, an occasion that highlights the importance of freedom of expression and the role of journalists in promoting democracy, transparency, and accountability. This year’s theme is “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights” emphasizing the fact that freedom of expression enables the enjoyment and the protection of all other human rights.

The theme resonates with Media Focus on Africa’s (MFA) mission to stimulate social change through the media. For over two decades, MFA has been working with journalists, media organizations and civil society groups across East Africa to enhance media professionalism, increase access to information and amplify the voices of marginalized communities through various innovative TV and Radio projects.

MFA recognizes that the media is a critical tool for shaping public opinion, influencing policy decisions, and holding those in power accountable. However, the media’s effectiveness is only possible when journalists can operate freely and without fear of censorship, intimidation and or harassment.

In many parts of Africa, journalists face significant challenges in their work. They are often subjected to physical attacks, legal harassments and financial constraints that limit their ability to investigate, report and disseminate information. This has a chilling effect on freedom of expression and undermines the public’s right to know.

MFA works to support and enable freedom of expression and freedom of the media by providing training and capacity building journalists and convening media stakeholders’ roundtables for conversations and dialogue on the most pressing freedom of expression and freedom of media challenges. Through our programs, we equip journalists with the skills and knowledge they need to produce high-quality and informative content that serves the public interest.

As we celebrate International Press Freedom Day, MFA reiterates its commitment to promoting media freedom, pluralism and professionalism across East Africa. We recognize that freedom of expression is a catalyst for the enjoyment of all other human rights and that journalists and media are an essential cog in safeguarding our freedom of expression. This year’s celebrations comes against the backdrop of fighting in the Sudan and opposition protests in Kenya.

“Access to reliable official information is of critical importance during times of crisis. Trustworthy news and images may help protect civilians and contribute to diffusing tensions. Journalists are often the source of this information, but many times they’re also the target of the parties in a crisis, e.g., the recent attacks on journalists covering the opposition called demonstrations in Nairobi in March. Press freedom and freedom of expression demands that journalists’ safety be guaranteed by state and non-state actors alike at all times and especially during times of crisis such as now” Harrison Manga, country Director at MFA Says.

We call on governments, media stakeholders and civil society organizations to support and protect journalists’ work and promote a free, independent, and vibrant media landscape in Africa. This is the only way to safeguard freedom of expression and catalyze the enjoyment of all human rights by all.

Media Monitoring Report Launch: Advancing Gender Equality in Political News Coverage

Wamunyu, W. & Maleche, H. Gender and Media in Kenya speaks at the launch of the media monitoring event held at Jacaranda Hotel in Westland on April 28 2023.

A recent media monitoring report launched by Wambui Wamunyu reveals a significant gender gap in political news coverage, with women being underrepresented as political news sources, content producers, and analysts. The report highlights the need for more diverse and inclusive media coverage and provides recommendations for achieving gender equality in politics.

The media monitoring report launch event, which took place on April 28, was attended by esteemed guests, including media representatives, politicians, civil society activists, and gender equality advocates. The report, which analyzed media coverage of political news over the past Kenya general elections, revealed that women are vastly underrepresented in political news coverage.

According to the report, about 40% of political news sources were women, and female experts and analysts were also underrepresented. Additionally, the report found that women’s perspectives were often marginalized, with their voices and opinions not given equal weight as those of their male counterparts.

In light of these findings, the report provides recommendations for improving gender equality in political news coverage. The first recommendation is for editorial decision-making to include deliberate efforts to involve both genders as political news sources, content producers, and analysts. This can enhance coverage by recognizing diverse perspectives and spaces.

Another critical recommendation is a review of campaign finance structures and mechanisms to enable equal opportunity for both genders in funding their electoral campaigns. This includes policies related to the financial support political parties provide to candidates and expenditure limits on electoral races.

During the launch event, the speakers emphasized the need for collaboration between media organizations, civil society groups, and political stakeholders to implement these recommendations effectively. Achieving gender equality in political news coverage requires a collective effort from all players involved.

Read the full report below.

General in Elections 2022G1

FOR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TO LEAD US TO GENDER EQUALITY, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE REMAIN “ANALOGUE”

This year’s International Women’s Day is marked under the theme DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for gender equality. Innovation and technology or digital transformation provides new avenues (leapfrog opportunities) for the economic transformation of women. The internet, mobile phones and digital financial services gives women the possibility to earn additional income, increase their employment opportunities and access knowledge and general information.

However, hurdles to access and affordability, lack of education and skills, technological illiteracy as well as inherent gender biases and negative socio-cultural norms effectively curtail women’s and girls’ ability to benefit from opportunities offered by the digital transformation.

According to a 2018 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report on Bridging the Digital Gender Divide, 327 million fewer women than men have a smartphone and can access the internet. According to the report in Africa, women are 34% less likely than men to own a smartphone. In Kenya, the great majority who have access to the internet do so via their phones. The GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report for 2019 found that Kenyan women are 23% less likely than men to own a smartphone and 39% less likely than men to access the internet. The biggest hurdle to women’s ownership of smartphones in Kenya is affordability of the handsets. The cheapest smartphone handset in Kenya retails for about 5000KES or 40USD. This is out of reach of many women. Women headed households account for 30% of households living below the monetary poverty line compared to 26 percent of those headed by men according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics 2018 Economic Survey. The relatively higher incidence of poverty among women compared to men is underpinned by socio-cultural norms governing gender roles, ownership of and control over familial property etc.

Fewer girls than boys are enrolled in Institutions of Higher Learning. Female students made up 40% of all the students enrolled in Universities compared to 60% male students during the 2020/21 academic year according to statistics from statista.com. Further, girl’s enrollment in disciplines relevant to the digital transformation (ICT & STEM subjects) is lower than that of boys. The World Bank estimates that only 30% of ICT graduates in Eastern and Southern Africa are Women. This boils over to the underrepresentation of women in technology design and governance. Negative socio-cultural norms surrounding education of girls versus boys as well as gender roles in society contribute to this situation.

Women on average spend 2.6 more time than men on unpaid care and domestic work according to the OECD 2018 report. This restricts the time they can spend in paid work or to upskill themselves using online tutorial videos and freely available information.

While digital transformation offer “leapfrog” opportunities for the empowerment of women, this will only succeed if the “analogue” work of actions that raise awareness, challenge gender stereotypes and negative socio-cultural norms, attitudes and behaviours and enabling greater female political participation and representation continues full speed. It is the case that for digital transformation to yield for us gender equality, it is imperative that we remain “analogue”

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 “

Radio: A Vital Tool for Advocating for Peace and Women Empowerment

Today, on World Radio Day, we take a moment to celebrate the power and reach of radio as a medium for promoting peace and empowering women. Radio has been a critical tool in the fight for equality, providing a platform for marginalized communities to tell their stories, share their experiences and advocate for change.

Radio has the unique ability to reach people in remote and underserved communities, where access to other forms of media may be limited. In Africa, for example, radio has been instrumental in amplifying the voices of women and advocating for gender equality. Media Focus on Africa has used radio to great effect in the broadcast of Ms. President, an entertaining, educating, and thought-provoking women and leadership Reality TV show. The objective of Ms President is to change Kenyans’ perception and attitude towards leadership by women in communities and in the country. Through radio, the show engages women in marginalized communities and creates a platform for conversation.

The use of vernacular languages in radio programming has also been a critical factor in promoting peace and women’s empowerment. By broadcasting in local languages, radio stations can reach a wider audience and ensure that important messages about peace and equality are understood by everyone, regardless of their level of education or language skills. Equality and peace reinforce each other. Sustainable peace cannot be achieved in an unequal environment.

Radio has also been an important tool in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. In conflict-affected areas, radio stations have been used to promote dialogue, provide a platform for different perspectives and promote reconciliation. By bringing people together and promoting understanding, radio has been instrumental in resolving conflicts and promoting peace.

Women’s empowerment is another critical area where radio has made a significant impact. By giving women a platform to share their experiences and perspectives, radio has helped to break down stereotypes and challenge patriarchal attitudes. The Ms. President Radio programs have inspired women to take on leadership roles, and to believe in their ability to make a positive change in their communities.

On this World Radio Day, we celebrate the role of radio in empowering women and promoting peace and encourage more organizations to use this powerful medium to drive positive change.

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.

Women’s Participation in Kenyan Politics is moving in the right direction

Since the 2013 elections in particular, Kenya has seen a significant increase in the number of women participating in politics. There has been a continual rise in the number of those running for office and the ones succeeding to hold those leadership positions. Today women make up 23.5% of the National Assembly up from 22% in the last parliament. Increasingly women are making their voices heard and breaking through the traditional barriers that have kept them out of the political arena.

Constitution of Kenya 2010 carries provision for realizing gender parity in political leadership and participation. Famously known as the two-thirds gender rule, the provision requires that no gender exceeds two-thirds in terms of its membership of all elective political positions. As a result, more and more women cognizant of this provision are stepping up to seek elective political positions with every election since 2013.

Another key factor that has contributed to this increase is the rise of women’s political organizations and programs. These organizations and programs have been instrumental in providing support and resources for women who are interested in running for office. Further, they have also been instrumental in raising awareness about the importance of women’s participation in politics.

Ms President has been one of such programs that has been at the forefront to highlight the importance of women participation in leadership and inspiring more ways men and girls to become more politically active. The show has been praised for its ability to spark important conversations about women’s participation in politics in Kenya and for its ability to inspire real-world change. A few of Ms President participants are currently occupying high level political leadership positions at the national level such as in the National Assembly and in the national executive. It’s also been credited with helping to shift societal attitudes towards women in politics in the positive direction, as well as encouraging more women to consider running for political office. Overall, Ms President is an important step in the ongoing effort to increase the representation and participation of women in Kenyan politics.

Despite these gains, there is still a long way to go in terms of achieving true gender parity in Kenyan politics. Women still face significant barriers when it comes to running for office, including a lack of financial resources, discrimination, and a lack of political experience.

However, there are many inspiring examples of women who have overcome these barriers and made a real impact in Kenyan politics. For example, Martha Karua, among the few women who’ve run for president in Kenya. She was a Presidential candidate in 2013 and a Presidential running mate in the 2022 election. Currently, there are seven female governors, and several women hold high government positions, including in the Cabinet as Cabinet Secretaries.

In conclusion, the participation and representation of women in Kenyan politics is an essential step in achieving true democracy and representation. We need to continue to work towards creating an environment where women can participate in politics without facing discrimination and barriers. By doing so, we will create a more inclusive and equitable society for all Kenyans.

Rural Based Journalists trained on digital inclusion reporting for marginalized groups of people

141 rural based journalists in five subregions in Northern and Eastern Uganda were trained to effectively report on digital inclusion for the vulnerable groups of people. Editors, and reporters working with Print, radio, television, and online news platforms attended the trainings held in Arua, Gulu , Lira, Moroto and Soroti districts. The training sessions tackled under coverage of stories on digital exclusion among vulnerable groups of people like rural women, persons living with disabilities, illiterates, and the youth. Among other topics discussed in the training were-Digital security for media houses and journalists, and digital literacy for rural based journalists. The training was aimed at promoting the role of professional journalism in establishing and sustaining digital inclusion for marginalized people in the rural areas of Uganda, by increasing stories reported on digital exclusion of marginalized groups of people. The training was conducted by Media Focus on Africa with support from the Africa Digital Rights Fund through CIPESA.n

Felix Warom, chief of Bureau of Daily Monitor in West Nile said that his team will be more intentional about featuring stories on digital exclusion of vulnerable people in the news. He called upon journalists to get out of their reporting comfort zones by reaching out to the marginalized groups of people for their views on the ongoing digital developments. Mr. Warom was among the journalists trained to report on digital inclusion.

Joseph Akiiso of Etop radio said that the digital inclusion training has not only improved the way the radio station involves women in their programming, it has greatly supported the way their female journalists report and present the news.

“Our female journalists have become content creators and distributors. Their earnings have improved and they have become competitive in the job market. We have prepared our female journalists for the future, since digital media is the future and the future is now.” Says Joseph Akiiso

“Digital inclusion was a subject I avoided to report about because it was so complex. This training has opened my eyes to the stories all around us and how to make those stories relatable to the audiences and the duty bearers.” Timothy Eodu, reporter Karamoja News

This training was the 4th edition of the Uganda Media Week regional media trainings and dialogues held annually in the key cities across the country, to refresh the reporting skills of journalists on specific issues. Previous topics covered in the regional media trainings include reporting on; elections, accountability, gender sensitive reporting, post covid recovery of media houses

Trainers

Media Focus on Africa collaborated with United Nations Capital Development Fund to produce training content and materials. Previously the two organizations worked together to train journalists online about covering digital inclusion in Uganda. UNCDF’s Steven Waiswa joined MFA’s Jan Ajwang and Ruth Nagudi facilitated training the training sessions.

Stephen Waiswa, UNCDF’s Regional Technical Specialist- Digital Financial services (East & southern Africa) defined the complex terms like digitization, digital divide, digitalization, digital transformation, digital inclusiveness, and digital economies. In his presentation, he Contextualized digital transformation in Uganda and the importance of digital inclusion. Mr. Waiswa elaborated the implications of digital transformation, existing digital gaps and made recommendations on how they can be filled.

Jan Ajwang, Media Focus on Africa’s Project Manager handled topics on identifying marginalized groups of people, digital safety for media houses and journalists, reporting stories on digital exclusion across multimedia platforms. In her presentation, she demonstrated how journalists can leverage one story to increase audiences across multimedia platforms, and how the stories can be written to compel action from the duty bearers.

Ruth Nagudi, Projects Coordinator facilitated an interactive session on Story ideas of underreported stories on digital exclusion of marginalized groups of people. Participants were divided into 4 groups to discuss and present on the Strengths, Weaknesses , Opportunities and Threats to digital inclusion in Uganda. After participants’ presentations, Ms. Nagudi facilitated the session on how journalists could turn SWOT analysis into stories that could increase reporting on digital inclusion

Hindrances to reporting news stories on digital inclusion

Journalists pointed out structural, infrastructural, skills and illiteracy related obstacles as the main hinderances to effective coverage of stories on digital inclusion. Among other key reasons for not reporting on digital exclusion are fear of media houses losing their main advertisers- telecommunications companies and government bodies who are directly related to the infrastructural imbalances. Journalists are not in position to independently report on such exclusions by people based in remote rural areas because the story involves an advertiser on their media platforms.

Digital exclusion stories new government initiatives that require registration of beneficiaries online, a journalist shared an example difficulty to register for parish model registration in Agago district and other remote areas partly due to lack of internet to connect to the registration system, and when the smart phone batteries run out there is no electricity to recharge the registration devices.

Relatedly, news stories exposing gaps in digital interventions by government cannot be broadcast or published because most of the media houses are owned by the members of the ruling political party (National Resistance Movement). The media owners are either Members of parliament or former ministers.

High cost of media tools has digitally marginalized the journalists. A basic photo camera costs a minimum of one million Uganda Shillings, while a video camera costs over two million shillings, amounts that are much higher than what rural based journalists earn from journalism. Most journalists cannot afford to buy their own gadgets like cameras, laptops, and voice recorders to aid them in collecting stories. Rural based media houses have limited gadgets that have to be shared by all the journalists. For example, West Nile Press Association has one desktop that is shared by all the journalist members who do not have personal laptops. Despite the increase in alternative cheaper smart phones on the market, some journalists revealed that they took long to own smart phones because they had to save for them for a long time, others did not own smart phones at the time of the training. Lack of access to news collecting tools is a huge obstacle to reporting on digital exclusion.

The high cost of data bundles has compelled some journalists to limit their journalism practice to reporting for radio rather than reporting for online news platforms or print that requires one to continuously file stories via email or uploading them to the news websites. Majority of the rural based media houses do not provide internet services for the employees so the journalists have to improvise by buying their own data. Daily data bundles cost between five hundred Uganda shillings to five thousand Uganda shillings while the monthly data bundles start from five thousand Uganda shillings to one hundred and fifty thousand shillings.

The transport facilitation availed to journalists enable them to cover stories closer to their media houses. They cannot travel to news sources in remote areas, or to those far from their media houses. This has further marginalized voices of the marginalized groups of people in the news. Journalists continue to prioritize voices of politicians, leaders and professionals as news sources while ignoring voices of marginalized groups of people. Hellen Onepur, a news reporter and talk show host pointed out that journalists need to go an extra mile to find rural women news sources by finding them in the gardens or in their kitchens at home.

Cultural structures that continue to marginalize women, and persons with disabilities. It was reported by some journalists that women decline to participate in news or dialogues without having permission form their husbands.

Language barrier between journalists and persons living with disability, in this case the deaf. Among the 141 journalists trained, none had knowledge nor experience with sign language. A Lira based news reporter for online news platform pointed out the need for media houses to facilitate sign language interpreters whenever journalists are interviewing deaf news sources.

Some journalists lack digital skills to operate digital tools for news gathering. Rural based journalists are lagging behind on digital skills because most trainings target urban based journalists in the central region. Some journalists are technophobic, and prefer to continue using the old technology that they are used to. It’s worse for the marginalized groups of people who have never gained exposure to devices like computers nor smart phones. Most of who are illiterate lessens their chances of digital literacy which requires possession basic reading and writing skills.

Participating journalists made recommendations of topics they would like to be trained on; more sessions on digital safety, mobile phone reporting, access to information and how to generate revenue through reporting on digital inclusion

From the journalists’ responses to the post evaluation form, it is clear that more trainings in digital inclusion and rights are needed to empower journalists to increase reporting on digital issues. This can be achieved through designing trainings to focus on specific marginalized groups of people and their digital needs. Journalists also expressed the need for digital mentorship sessions, and training of trainers from different newsrooms. WhatsApp groups were created to keep the conversation going, and to share stories on digital inclusion.

Increased women’s Political Representation as the sustainable path to reduced Gender Based Violence?

The world is observing the 16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence (GBV). It is an annual campaign that kicks off on the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against women (25^th November) and runs until the International Human Rights Day (10^th December). This year’s theme is “Activism to end violence against women and girls”. GBV remains a significant challenge in Kenya. According to the KDHS 2014 (the most recent data on GBV in Kenya), 45% of women have experienced physical violence since age 15. 39% of ever married women have experienced spousal physical or sexual violence. In 2021 the Government of Kenya committed to ending GBV by 2026 via a raft of measures including full implementation of GBV laws, increasing funding for GBV prevention and response and integrating GBV services into essential minimum package of Universal Health Care by 2022.

While all these measures are necessary, a less explored factor that could sustainably contribute to reduced prevalence of GBV cases is that of female political representation. According to a 2021 paper by the University of Chile, evidence from Brazil shows that electing female mayors decreased cases of violence, particularly domestic violence committed by partners, by 63%. This is backed up by a working paper series of the Inter- American Development Bank (IDB-WP-1379) which also found that the election of a female House Representative in the USA leads to short term decline in prevalence of femicides in her electoral district.

Here is how women’s political representation impacts on the prevalence of GBV

Female political leaders can help change perception of women in general. Female political representation is likely to improve male views on female’s role in society. When a woman becomes a visible political leader, both men and women change their perception about gender equality. Men may become less likely to commit GBV as a result of more positive views about women in society, fostering changes in gender biased social norms. Evidence from India suggests that long-term exposure to women in office improves perception about female leaders and tends to decrease gender biases.

Evidence from the US suggests that after the election of a female representative, women exhibit greater propensity to complain about harassment and discrimination. Women who are aware of having a female local representative in a position of power may feel more empowered and become more likely to both abandon abusive relationships and to come forward when facing GBV. Also, elected female representatives are likely to exert pressure on the authorities handling of GBV e.g., the police by going to the press or by approaching higher level authorities. We’ve seen Kenyan women MPs hold press conferences to demand action against GBV perpetrators and join in marches against GBV e.g. the #MydressMychoice campaign in 2014.

Policy preferences differ between women and men. A female legislator is more likely than a male legislator to propose and pass bills that deter violence against women and have more active roles on such issues. This was seen in Kenya in 2006 when the then nominated MP Njoki Ndungu (currently a Justice of the Supreme Court) backed by other female MPs championed and led the enactment of the Sexual Offences Act.

As the world observes the 16 days of activism against GBV, it is the right time to interrogate the impact of having more women in elective political leadership on the prevalence of GBV. Based on the cited emerging evidence from Brazil and USA, one of the most impactful and sustainable measures to reduce prevalence of GBV could be greater focus and investment in increasing the representation of women in political leadership.

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.

News Type: News

International Press Freedom Day: Celebrating the Freedom to Inform and Be Informed

Media Monitoring Report Launch: Advancing Gender Equality in Political News Coverage

FOR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TO LEAD US TO GENDER EQUALITY, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE REMAIN “ANALOGUE”

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

Radio: A Vital Tool for Advocating for Peace and Women Empowerment

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

Women’s Participation in Kenyan Politics is moving in the right direction

Rural Based Journalists trained on digital inclusion reporting for marginalized groups of people

Increased women’s Political Representation as the sustainable path to reduced Gender Based Violence?

Angel Mbuthia Is Ms President Season 2

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