Seven women’s rights organisations in Africa launch coalition for gender equality and media sustainability
The Mt Kenya Times 
Coalition for Gender Equality and Media Sustainability in Africa (CGEMSA)
By Elizabeth Angira
Seven women-led African media and gender-focused organisations have launched the Coalition for Gender Equality and Media Sustainability in Africa (CGEMSA), a continental alliance aimed at advancing gender equality, strengthening media sustainability and supporting organisations working to build more inclusive and resilient media ecosystems across Africa.
The Coalition brings together organisations with decades of experience in promoting women’s participation in media, media development, gender advocacy and press freedom. Its formation comes at a time when organisations advancing gender equality, women’s rights and independent media are facing growing sustainability challenges, including declining funding, shifting donor priorities and increasing pressures on civil society.
Recent data underscores the urgency of these challenges. 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.
Advocacy and accountability efforts were among the first areas affected, with 31 per cent of organisations reporting reduced capacity to advocate and 21 per cent scaling back longer-term gender equality work. Nearly half of the organisations surveyed reported having six months or less of operational funding, while two in five considered suspension or closure likely within the following year.
The media sector is facing similar pressures. The Free Press Unlimited 2026 report highlights the impact of declining international support on independent media globally, noting that up to 80 per cent of surveyed independent media outlets had been forced to downsize following sudden reductions in international aid. Such pressures have affected the ability of media organisations to sustain public-interest journalism and serve their communities effectively.
Against this backdrop, CGEMSA has been established to provide a platform for collaborative resilience, resource mobilisation, knowledge exchange and collective action across Africa. The Coalition recognises that the challenges facing gender-focused organisations and independent media are interconnected and require stronger collaboration rather than isolated responses.
The founding members 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) will serve as the Coalition Secretariat, providing coordination and administrative support. The Coalition’s strategic direction and priorities will, however, be collectively shaped by its founding member organisations, drawing on their diverse experiences and expertise from across the continent.
Together, the members will work to mobilise strategic partnerships and resources, promote regional collaboration and strengthen enabling environments for gender equality and sustainable media development.
“Organisations 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 organisations face unprecedented challenges.
“This Coalition brings these efforts together, creating a powerful collective platform to mobilise resources, champion regional collaboration and empower our organisations to continue driving meaningful change beyond our borders.”
Queenter Mbori, Executive Director, Association of Media Women in Kenya, on behalf of the founding members
Dr. Yemisi Akinbobola, Chief Executive Officer of African Women in Media (AWiM), said the Coalition reflects a shared commitment to sustaining and strengthening the work already being undertaken by organisations advancing gender equality and media development across Africa.
“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.”
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 can help organisations expand their impact.
The Coalition will also 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
The Coalition for Gender Equality and Media Sustainability in Africa (CGEMSA) 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, more resilient and sustainable media institutions across the continent.
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