A Twenty strong Somali Women in News (WIN) delegation met in Nairobi, Kenya from 22nd to 27th September, as part of a newsroom leadership and media management programme for Somali media women.
Somali WIN which has been running for two years now is a partnership between WAN-IFRA and IMS/Fojo. The programme is designed to improve representation of women, especially in senior management, in Somali media as well as amplifying women’s voices in the news.
The programme was in two parts. Participating journalists and editors for the current class of Somali WIN will be holding their final training by WIN Lead Trainer Paula Fray and individual coaching sessions as they wind up their programme. They were then joined by the legacy class from last year who had their refresher and delved into strategic business development issues.
The group was then joined by their Kenyan Women in News counterparts to take part in one-day Summit and discussed practical leadership techniques and exchange ideas and challenges. The Summit included a panel discussion by WIN Kenya alumni Faith Oneya, Maryanne Gicobi, Valerie Koga, Mercy Njoroge, Felista Wangari, as well as a keynote speech by Dorothy Kweyu, Consulting Editor, Editorial Centre.
The WIN programme is operating in eight African countries and is credited for helping women propel their careers forward to either more senior positions or more responsible positions. Participants have also reported better awareness of gender issues, improvement in levels of confidence and having a stronger desire to remain in the media industry in contrast with before they joined the programme.
Women in News is currently accepting applications from editors and journalists from the following countries: Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
