PRESS STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AMWIK AND UNESCO IPDC TO LAUNCH PROJECT EMPOWERING WOMEN JOURNALISTS ON DIGITAL SAFETY, MENTAL HEALTH AND NEWSROOM POLICY ACROSS FOUR KENYAN COUNTIES
Nairobi – The Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK), through the support of UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication(IPDC), will launch the “Empowering Journalists for Safety and Equity in Kenya” project on 3rd July 2026, a comprehensive initiative designed to address the safety, mental health and professional advancement of journalists operating across Nairobi, Mombasa, Busia and Kakamega counties.
Journalists in Kenya, particularly women, face increasing safety risks that threaten their ability to work freely and effectively. These challenges include online harassment, sexual harassment in newsrooms, physical threats while on assignment, and psychological stress resulting from exposure to violence and crisis reporting. Many media institutions lack adequate policies and support systems to address these risks, contributing to unsafe working environments, self-censorship and limited career progression for women in media.
The project responds to systemic gender inequalities, weak enforcement of protections and limited awareness of safety mechanisms. It targets 60 female journalists as its primary beneficiaries, drawing participants from early-career, mid-career and senior levels, as well as journalists with disabilities. Media managers, media houses and wider sector stakeholders will also be engaged as secondary participants.
The initiative will be formally introduced through a national hybrid launch event bringing together journalists, media stakeholders, policymakers and partners. This will be followed by two intensive online training sessions equipping the beneficiary journalists with practical digital safety skills including tools to prevent and respond to online harassment and cyber threats, strengthen digital security practices, and navigate risks in online spaces. Training content will be shaped by a pre-training needs assessment and will integrate global best practices.
Alongside the technical training, a series of virtual psychosocial support workshops will create space for journalists to address stress, burnout, trauma from sensitive assignments and workplace psychological pressure. The project will also engage media houses directly on the adoption of sexual harassment policies and gender-responsive newsroom practices, with in-house support for policy adoption in selected organisations. A dedicated collaboration platform will allow participants to share experiences, exchange best practices and build peer networks.
By the end of the project, AMWIK and UNESCO IPDC expect to have trained the women journalists on digital safety, conducted psychosocial support sessions, and trained media managers on gender-sensitive policies. The project’s overall goal is to contribute to a safer, more inclusive and gender-responsive media environment in Kenya where women journalists can work without fear of violence, harassment or discrimination.
Speaking about the initiative, AMWIK Executive Director Queenter Mbori said that, “AMWIK will continue to push for a Kenya where every woman journalist can report, lead, and exist safely, both offline and online.”
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About the Association of Media Women in Kenya
The Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK) is a National Media Association established in 1982 and registered under the Societies Act as a non-profit membership organization for women journalists from the print, electronic media and other areas of communication. AMWIK’s vision is a just society in which the media embraces and promotes equitable development and human rights. AMWIK’s mission is to use the media to promote an informed and gender-responsive society through professional and transformative media.
About UNESCO IPDC
The UNESCO International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) is the only multilateral forum within the UN system designed to mobilize the international community around media development issues. Created in 1980, the Programme promotes media development within developing countries and those in transition, conflict and post-conflict situations. The Programme also provides support for media projects while seeking global understanding in development of best practices to secure a healthy environment for the growth of free and pluralistic press.
