National Dialogue on Gender, Media, and Inclusion Held in Arua City

Arua City, Uganda – The Uganda Media Women's Association (UMWA) today convened a National Dialogue on Gender, Media, and Inclusion at Royal Resort Hotel in Arua City. Under the theme “30 Years After the Beijing Platform for Action: What Actions to Accelerate Gender Equality in the Media?” the dialogue brought together media professionals, government officials, and gender advocates to assess progress and chart a way forward.

The discussions centered around key areas such as the state of media representation and portrayal of women, milestones achieved, challenges encountered, and actionable steps to accelerate gender equality in the media.

Key Highlights from the Dialogue

Delivering the keynote speech, Annet Lekuru, CEO of Feminature Uganda, emphasized the need to challenge societal stereotypes that depict women as fearful, lacking content, voiceless, and incapable of leadership. “As media, we must change these perceptions and help society see women differently,” she stated.

Annet Lekuru, CEO of Feminature Uganda

Atiku Bernard, Chairperson of the Arua City Land Board, underscored the importance of benchmarking Uganda’s progress in gender inclusivity against regional and global standards.

Atiku Bernard, Chairperson of the Arua City Land Board 

 “As we talk about gender equality, we must also compare how we’re doing vis-à-vis the rest of Uganda, East Africa, and the world. How is the media helping?” he posed.

Highlighting the need for job security in media, Andrew Cohen, Editor at WestNile Online, advocated for formal contracts for journalists. “Journalists should be given appointment letters and contracts from the various media organizations they work in so that when things go south, they have a fallback plan,” he noted.

Andrew Cohen, Editor at WestNile Online,

Alfred Okuonzi, LC5 Chairperson of Arua District, echoed similar sentiments, stressing that lack of employment contracts contributes to workplace exploitation. “Work done without contracts and job descriptions is corruption itself. Journalists, whether male or female, should be given work contracts. We need to come out and report such cases—labour offices are open at the districts,” he said.

Speaking on the role of men in gender equality, Dr. Andama Alfred, Program Officer for Gender & Social Development at the Office of the President, called on male media professionals to take an active role in promoting inclusivity. “It is upon us in the media fraternity to break the chain holding women. As men, we all feel the pain, and it is our duty to champion gender equality and inclusivity in our industry,” he urged.

Adding her voice to the discussion, Ms. Eyotaru Peace Victoria called for male support in bridging gender disparities. “Men, we need your support in advancing gender, media, and inclusion,” she emphasized.

William Mugisha, Manager at Voice of Life FM, encouraged women to take initiative in supporting each other. “As women, you need to support yourselves first so that when men come in, it becomes a bigger force for change,” he advised.

Addressing the issue of safe working environments, he further noted, “As women in leadership, let’s create non-exploitative spaces for women in media. Insulting someone for their ideology won’t make you better—work on yourself to fit into what will impact you positively.”

Way Forward

The dialogue concluded with a call for:

Stronger policies to ensure equal representation of women in media roles.

Protection of journalists through formal contracts and job security.

A shift in media narratives to portray women as capable and empowered leaders.

Increased collaboration between men and women to drive inclusivity.

Accountability from media organizations in addressing workplace exploitation.

As Uganda reflects on three decades since the Beijing Platform for Action, discussions such as these are crucial in accelerating the country’s efforts toward gender equality in media. Stakeholders left the dialogue with renewed commitment to pushing for a more inclusive and equitable media landscape in Uganda.