The place of women journalists in the country’s media scene cannot be gainsaid. However, the journey has not always been rosy. The male dominated industry has not been kind to the womenfolk and it has taken years of hard work and dedication for them to get where they are. 

Today, we celebrate a milestone in the industry where women are almost matching men with some having risen through the ranks to head the biggest media houses in the region.

All this would not have been possible had the pioneers of the Association of Media Women in Kenya (Amwik) not sat and decided to push for the cause of women in journalism. The association, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, has every reason to be proud.

One of the reasons the association was formed was to recognise, support and protect the role of female journalists by amplifying their voices in a male-dominated media field. Currently, Amwik boasts about 300 women in media who seek to give visibility to various issues affecting the female gender.

For four decades, Amwik has been working to promote women participation in decision-making in the media, which, by all means, is no mean feat. Although there has been progress on the male-to-female ratio in the media industry’s decision-making table, there is still a lot of ground to be covered.  Statistics currently indicate that most top media managers are male, estimated at 65 per cent and the remaining 35 per cent are women.

There is a need to stay on top by re-inventing the media for the sake of the future and streamlining internal procedures to build a strong foundation on which young people joining the field can stand on.

Amwik should also focus on strengthening gender and governance, human rights, Gender Based Violence (GBV) sexual harassment and sexual reproductive rights reporting, among other roles.

A rich history spanning 40 years is worth celebration but it is important to support women in the media by continuing to champion a female-friendly environment. 

As we celebrate women, we condemn the attack on journalists by Orange Democratic Movement goons. The thugs at Chungwa House descended on two journalists going about their work for what they said were negative stories published by their media houses. The brazen attack was an assault on media freedom and should be condemned by all.  We challenge the police to move quickly and arrest those involved.