The Media in East and Southern Africa commits to strengthened support for gender equality amid rising pushback

27 May 2025

In a declaration signed at the Generation Equality Media and Commitment Makers Forumin Nairobi, media organizations in East and Southern Africa have committed to strengthened support for gender equality in the region.

Representatives from the media organizations promised to advance gender-sensitive reporting, develop dedicated gender equality editorial policies, amplify the voices and work of Generation Equality Commitment Makers, monitor and evaluate progress made in advancing gender equality through media.

“We, the undersigned media organizations gathered at the Generation Equality Media and Commitment Makers Forum, recognize the critical role of media in shaping narratives and holding institutions accountable for gender equality and women’s empowerment across East and Southern Africa and beyond”, the declaration stated.

Inspired by the Generation Equality initiative – a multi -stakeholder initiative convened by UN Women, signatories committed to strengthening partnerships with Commitment Makers: governments, civil society, youth activists, and the private sector to promote positive social norms, challenge harmful perceptions and break stereotypes. 

“Across our region, we are facing growing challenges — from the climate emergency and conflict, to shrinking civic space — that continue to disproportionately affect women and girls. In times like these, we must stand together. We must unite our hands, our resources and our expertise, and we count on media partners”, affirmed Anna Mutavati, Regional Director, UN Women East and Southern Africa, adding that “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.”

“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”, said Queenter Mbori, Executive Director, Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK).

In the signed declaration, the media affirmed it recognizes that it shapes public discourse, influences policy agendas, and holds power to account. It also acknowledged its responsibility to challenge harmful stereotypes, amplify marginalized voices, and report on gender issues with accuracy, sensitivity, and depth.  

The Forum comes at a pivotal moment. 2025 is a landmark year for gender equality, commemorating several major milestones, the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most comprehensive and visionary agenda for advancing gender equality and the rights of all women and girls, 25 years of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, recognizing the critical role of women in peacebuilding and conflict resolution, 15 years since the establishment of UN Women, created to accelerate progress on gender equality and women’s empowerment globally.

This pivotal year offers a critical opportunity to evaluate progress, address ongoing challenges and renew actionable commitments. A critical accelerator to all these efforts are multistakeholder, multilevel, and intergenerational partnerships as recently highlighted in the Pact for the Future and in the regional reviews of progress against the BDPfA.