Women’s Rights Organisations in Africa Launch Coalition for Gender Equality and Media Sustainability
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
30th September 2026
Seven women-led African media and gender-focused organisations have jointly launched the Coalition for Gender Equality and Media Sustainability in Africa (CGEMSA), a continental alliance committed to advancing gender equality, strengthening media sustainability, and supporting organisations working to build a more inclusive media ecosystem across Africa.
CGEMSA brings together organisations with decades of experience championing women in media, media development, gender advocacy, and press freedom. The founding members have united at a time when organisations advancing gender equality and independent media are facing increasing sustainability challenges due to declining funding, shifting donor priorities, and growing pressures on civil society.
Recent data highlights the urgency of this moment. The UN Women Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2026 reports that a survey of 855 women-led and women’s rights organisations across 52 crisis-affected countries and contexts found significant impacts on organisational sustainability, with advocacy and accountability efforts among the first functions affected. With 31% of organisations reporting reduced capacity to advocate, 21% scaling back longer-term gender equality work, nearly half reporting six months or less of operational funding and two in five organisations considered suspension or closure likely within the following year.
The media sector is experiencing similar pressures. Free Press Unlimited 2026 report highlights the impact of reduced international support on independent media globally, noting that up to 80% of surveyed independent media outlets have been forced to downsize following sudden reductions in international aid, affecting their ability to sustain public-interest journalism.
Recognising that these interconnected challenges cannot be addressed by individual organisations working alone, the Coalition has been established as a platform for collaborative resilience, resource mobilisation, shared expertise, collective action across Africa.
The founding members of the Coalition are African Women in Media (AWiM), Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK), Ethiopian Media Women Association (EMWA), SisterSpeak 237, Tanzania Media Women’s Association (TAMWA), Uganda Media Women’s Association (UMWA), and Women in Media Sierra Leone (WIMSAL).
African Women in Media (AWiM) serves as the Coalition Secretariat, providing coordination and administrative support while the Coalition’s strategic direction and priorities are collectively shaped by its founding member organisations. Together, members will work mobilise strategic partnerships and resources to promote sustainable and inclusive media ecosystems and enabling environments for gender equality in and through media.
“Organizations across Africa have long spearheaded gender equality and media development. As media continues to drive transformative social change, new digital media is unlocking dynamic opportunities for cross-country partnerships across the continent. Yet, amid declining funding for civil society and media initiatives, many face unprecedented challenges. This coalition unites these efforts, creating a powerful collective platform to mobilize resources, champion regional collaboration, and empower our organizations to continue driving meaningful change beyond our borders.”
Queenter Mbori, Executive Director, Association of Media Women in Kenya on behalf of the founding members.
“The Coalition represents a shared commitment to sustaining and strengthening the critical work that organisations across Africa are already doing to advance gender equality and media development. As the Secretariat, AWiM is honoured to support coordination and partnership-building among the founding members while ensuring that each organisation’s expertise, priorities, and experience remain central to the Coalition’s direction. Investing in this collective effort means investing in a more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable future for African media.”
Dr. Yemisi Akinbobola, Chief Executive Officer, African Women in Media (AWiM)
Over the coming months, CGEMSA will focus on strengthening collaboration among its founding members, advancing shared advocacy priorities, facilitating knowledge exchange and building strategic partnerships that enable organisations to expand their impact. The Coalition will engage development partners, donors and private sector stakeholders to mobilise support and investment for gender equality and media sustainability initiatives across Africa.
About the Coalition for Gender Equality and Media Sustainability in Africa
Coalition for Gender Equality and Media Sustainability in Africa is a pan-African alliance of women-led media organisations, gender advocates, and industry allies working together to strengthen an inclusive, sustainable, and equitable media ecosystem across Africa. Through collective advocacy, knowledge exchange and strategic partnerships, the Coalition supports organisations advancing gender equality in and through the media while promoting stronger and more resilient media institutions across the continent.
Media Contact
