"Mentorship is the art of unlocking potential by guiding individuals through open doors." Caroline Ghosn Embracing this philosophy, the International Association of Women in Radio and Television, Kenya chapter, has, for the past six years, championed a transformative platform for female journalists in Kenya. Handpicked from diverse universities nationwide, aspiring female journalists are granted a unique opportunity to undergo a year-long...
By Cecilia Maundu In today's digital age, the Internet, including social media, serves as an indispensable tool forjournalists to connect with their peers, engage with the public, conduct research, andexpress their viewpoints. However, it's essential to acknowledge that the Internet has alsogiven rise to gender-based online violence, which disproportionately affects womenjournalists. A 2020 UN Women report highlighted that women working in the...
The prevalence of gender-based violence has been reported to increase globally and Kenya is not an exception to the geographics facing the menace. GBV happens in various channels which spread at work, school, and even homes. However, over time GBV has been witnessed to spread in sectors such as the health, legal sectors, and Online. Therefore this calls for journalists to take control of the reportage of this situation and accurately inform the...
Social media and other digital platforms have greatly empowered people across the globe to communicate, dispense ideas and information, transform societies, educate themselves, and entertain themselves. This has facilitated the promotion of freedom of expression and easy access to information. On the other hand, these platforms have also been misused as useful tools and incentives used to spread hate speech, propaganda, and disinformation. On...
Can a journalist be an activist and an advocate for a cause without compromising the core editorial values of journalism? This is a question asked by the majority, as journalists are supposed to avoid becoming emotionally and politically involved in issues they are covering because once they do, they are likely to lose their objectivity. Speaking in Bungoma during the Bungoma and Kakamega Counties female journalists training, Kenya ICT Action...
In a two-day externship run by Pollicy with the confederacy of the International Association of Women in Radio and Television—Kenya (IAWRT Kenya) and Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK), women journalists have been urged to become the non-toxic, positive change they wish to see in the online spaces. This training, dubbed ‘Future of Work," concentrated on disseminating useful knowledge on the possible scenarios of the future of work...
Meet Agnes Budoli a 37-year-old mother of 4 girls from Bukhaywa village. Agnes bought a 4 lights solar lighting pack from Solibrium Limited in the year 2020 and says she has never regretted that bold step that she took. Before she acquired the solar lighting pack, Agnes was using a kerosene lamp which was a costly adventure due to the need to regularly buy kerosene for the lamp, an expense she could not be able to sustain. Agnes adds that usage...
Meet Mary Elkana from Imaunya village Shinyalu constituency and a mother of five. Her cookstove was installed in 2012, she's among the first group of people to benefit from Eco2librium's Stove for Life project which was started in 2010. Mary says she has never regretted switching to cooking with improved cookstoves. She recalls when she could have numerous visits to the hospital due to eye irritation from the smoke after cooking with...
Deforestation continues to be a threat to the Kakamega forest because of a higher firewood demand of about 1.5 million tons per year. In comparison, there is only a supply of an estimated 0.5 million tons. The illegal activity is said to be majorly carried out by women and girls who could be seen carrying volumes of firewood on their heads and backs, some for cooking and some to be sold for income. In this regard, Eco2librium Company was...
Misleading and incorrect information is becoming dangerous, especially in this era of social media. The objective of sending out such information is to deceive and influence people in a targeted direction deliberately. Unfortunately, the most affected are women. Speaking in Bungoma during the Bungoma and Kakamega Counties female journalists training, Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) CEO & Convenor Grace Githaiga said disinformation is...
