Generation Equality provides a platform for meaningful collaboration between media and commitment makers in East and Southern Africa

In a powerful demonstration of commitment, media organizations from East and Southern Africa, gathered at the Generation Equality Media and Commitment Makers Forum in Nairobi, have signed a declaration pledging their strengthened support for advancing gender equality across the region.

The forum, a collaborative effort between UN Women, the Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK), Nala Feminist Collective the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG), and the Women Count programme brought together a diverse group of media professionals and Generation Equality commitment makers. Participants, including governments, civil society organizations, youth activists, and private sector representatives from over 14 East and Southern African countries, converged to strategize impactful ways for the media to foster positive social norms, dismantle harmful stereotypes, and champion gender equality.

Representatives from media organizations committed to a series of concrete actions: advancing gender-sensitive reporting, developing dedicated gender equality editorial policies, amplifying the crucial work and voices of Generation Equality Commitment Makers, and diligently monitoring and evaluating progress made in advancing gender equality through the media.

In her opening remarks, Anna Mutavati, UN Women Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, emphasized the transformative power of storytelling: “The way stories are told, or not told, determines what societies value, what gets funded, and what policies are pursued. Yet too often, the voices and stories of women and girls, especially from grassroots communities, especially in conflict settings, especially those who are most vulnerable, like survivors of violence, remain underrepresented or misrepresented”, declared the Regional Director, emphasizing the indispensable role of media in shaping narratives.

Queenter Mbori, Executive Director of AMWIK, echoed this sentiment, stating, "Our aim is to move beyond intermittent coverage to sustained, impactful storytelling. We laud all media representatives who have signed the declaration to ensure gender-sensitive reporting, because with every story of progress told, we move one step closer to achieving equality."

Over the two days of the Forum, participants engaged in a full discussions designed to encourage learning and dialogue. The programme featured presentations on the Generation Equality Action Coalitions, panel discussions and storytelling sessions that gave space for media professionals and digital content creators to share best practices and experiences in advancing gender equality through their platforms. 

Amplifying voices of Sudanese women

2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), which reaffirms the important role women play in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peacebuilding, humanitarian response, and post-conflict reconstruction.

While global momentum on WPS has grown, conflict-affected contexts like Sudan continue to face acute challenges. The media holds a critical role in shaping public discourse and influencing policy narratives around peace and security. However, in the Sudanese context, media coverage of the ongoing conflict has often lacked a gender lens, with limited space for women’s voices, peacebuilding narratives, and WPS principles.

The “Portrayal of Women, Peace and Security in Sudanese Media during Conflict” session, where the voices of Sudanese women took center stage, reflected on the current state of media reporting in Sudan from a WPS perspective and explored how media actors can contribute more meaningfully to advancing gender-sensitive peace and security coverage.

Participating media outlets pledged to provide their platforms for Sudanese women’s stories, creating a truly heartwarming moment of solidarity that demonstrated Generation Equality’s unique convening power for collective action, advocacy, and intergenerational dialogue.

Capacity Building for Media and Commitment Makers

The Forum provided targeted capacity building for both media professionals and Generation Equality commitment makers. Media participants were equipped with the skills and knowledge to report on gender equality issues using a survivor-centered and intersectional lens.

Key trainings included:

• Advancing Climate and Gender Reporting: Explored the intersection of climate change and gender equality, emphasizing the media’s critical role in driving transformative narratives.
• Understanding Gender Data: Demystified the importance of gender data, covering why it matters, how to use it, and how the media can help translate data into compelling, impactful stories.
• Responsible Reporting on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG): Focused on ethical, survivor-centered approaches to reporting on violence against women, along with key opportunities to amplify advocacy priorities for ending VAWG.
• Unpacking Unpaid Care Work: Highlighted the often invisible burden of unpaid care work and how the media can help shape public understanding and influence policy dialogue on this issue.

At the same time, the Forum strengthened the capacity of Generation Equality commitment makers and youth activists to effectively engage with the media—including how to speak to journalists, pitch their stories, and amplify their advocacy through strategic media engagement.

Strengthening Dialogue Between Gender Equality Actors and the Media

The Forum offered an important opportunity for media professionals and gender equality advocates to engage in open dialogue, deepen their understanding of each other’s needs, and learn how best to collaborate for greater impact.

As Jennifer Gilla, a journalist from Tanzania, remarked:“Media is usually only invited to cover issues, but we also need to be included in the discussions themselves. We need to better understand the issues and have our capacity strengthened. I think this Forum is a landmark event that should happen every year. I thank Generation Equality for bringing us together—we need to see this happening annually, and we should localize it in our own countries.”

The Forum also highlighted the impact of Generation Equality in the region through a physical exhibition. Across East and Southern Africa, Commitment Makers are driving real change for gender equality through innovative, locally led initiatives. Participants had the opportunity to explore key achievements from 2024, as reported by our Commitment Makers. These examples represent just a selection of the many inspiring results being achieved across the region.

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