The inequalities exposed by the recent global crises was the mirror the world needed to see how far we have come and are yet to go in genuinely achieving equal societies. These realisations have prompted a renewed commitment to advancing agendas around women’s rights and representation. Therefore, we are presented with a timely opportunity to look back and forward at the importance of the equal and fair representation of women and women’s perspectives on development issues and the development of laws and policies. This is even more crucial now as the world begins to build back better.

Similarly, research by AWiM and Fojo Media Institute on the barriers faced by African women journalists revealed the extent of existing gendered experiences of women media practitioners. Thus the potential this has on the adequate representation of women and women’s issues in media content. Likewise, it revealed how respondents challenge the status quo and build resilience.

The role African women in media industries can and do play is more important now than ever before. Frameworks like the African Union’s Strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) have highlighted the need and importance of working with and supporting practitioners in the media, cultural and creative industries towards the
development and implementation of policies and laws that advance “women’s equal & fair representation”.

AWiM21 brings together practitioners, scholars, CSOs and policy actors to offer their insights on pertinent questions in these areas. We also ask important questions about how Africa’s media, creative and cultural industries adapt following lessons learnt during the pandemic.

AWiM21 is organised with the support of our partners at MacArthur Foundation, International Center for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Women in News (WAN-IFRA), Fojo Media Institute, United Nations Environment Programme and the UN Women.