Webinar: Better supporting women in African environmental journalism

November 24, 2020

Join us as we host an open webinar to highlight the challenges facing female journalists across Africa, with a focus on young journalists who want to cover energy and environmental issues.

DATE: 26th November, 2020
TIME: 5 pm (GMT+3)

This year Hivos ran a fellowship focusing on climate and (renewable) energy journalism in Africa with Climate Tracker. During this fellowship we noticed an unbalanced participation between male and female journalists. After conducting an assessment on this disparity we concluded that there are specific challenges women journalists face regarding environmental reporting in Africa.

For instance, women journalists are less likely to publish articles in the field of environment and climate than men because of a strong belief these are men’s issues. This is especially true for (renewable) energy. Therefore, the field of environmental journalism in Africa is male dominated and women journalists are underrepresented.

Moreover, in articles on environmental and renewable energy issues in Africa, reference to women is only made in combination with clean cooking.  How women relate to energy and how the lack thereof is affecting women beyond clean cooking is hugely absent in reporting.

In this webinar you will hear directly from young African women on the challenges unique to their countries and industry, learn some of the common challenges for young women seeking to get into environmental journalism, gain deeper insight into the unique journeys of young women who have overcome some of these challenges, and much more!

Our Speakers

  • Moneera Yassien, Women’s Rights Researcher, Sudan
  • Precious Shola Mwamulima, Development Economist, Mandela Washington Fellow, Climate Action Scholar and Gender Advocate, Zambia
  • Janet Njunge, Former CT Fellow and Journalist now Chevening Scholar, Kenya
  • Nesia Mhaka Nesia, Journalist at the Herald + AllAfrica.com, Zimbabwe
  • Lydia Nyawira, The Standard Media Group Correspondent, Kenya
  • Diana Taremwa Karakire, Freelance Journalist + 1 of 2 female Graduates of CT’s SEforALL energy fellowship, Uganda
  • Jennifer Ugwa, Journalist at the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism and 1 of 2 female Graduates of CT’s SEforALL energy fellowship, Nigeria

Moderator: Lina Yassin, MENA program manager Climate Tracker

Opening and closing remarks: Merit Hindriks, communication specialist Hivos

Registration >>> WEBINAR: Better Supporting Women in African Environmental Journalism