In Somalia, the country’s first all-women media house has opened, providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for female journalists to research and publish the stories they want to tell.
The team of six, led by one of the country’s few female senior news producers, will create content for TV, radio, and online media on topics such as gender-based violence, women in politics, and female entrepreneurs.
Most importantly, they will be able to make editorial decisions on their own.
In Somalia, women in the media face a variety of challenges, including being ignored and denied promotions, as well as bullying and sexual harassment. “Men believe you should come in, read the news, and then leave,” Ahmed, 27, said.
It will publish news and features, and provide training and mentorship from established Somali and international journalists, including the BBC’s Lyse Doucet and Razia Iqbal, Channel 4’s Lyndsey Hilsum and Mohammed Adow at Al Jazeera.
Six-month internships will be offered to the best final-year female journalism students at two universities in Mogadishu.
The project is a year-long pilot funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), but Jocelyn Mason, UNDP’s resident representative in Mogadishu, is confident it will become a permanent setup and may be expanded into Somalia’s regions.
“We hope this will be a gamechanger for the Somali media scene,” Mason said, “opening up new opportunities for women journalists and shining a light on subjects that have been overlooked, especially those that are important to women.”
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