The Growing Threat to Women Journalists.
The digital era has opened new frontiers for journalism — enabling richer storytelling, wider collaboration, and deeper engagement. Yet for women journalists, this progress has come with alarming digital risks: online harassment, cyberbullying, doxxing, and coordinated attacks. These threats not only endanger individual safety but also undermine press freedom and deepen gender inequality in the media sector. Recognizing the urgency, the Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK), supported by the Urgent Action Fund-Africa, convened a high-level stakeholder meeting under the project “Advocacy and Alliance Building: Safeguarding Women Journalists in Digital Spaces.” Media professionals, policymakers, digital rights defenders, and civil society leaders gathered to assess the challenges and design solutions.
Gaps in Current Media Protection Frameworks.
A key part of the dialogue focused on policy and regulatory gaps. Participants highlighted major shortcomings: inadequate digital security safeguards, insufficient attention to physical and mental health safety, weak protections against legal intimidation, and a failure to address gender-specific risks in media regulations. These gaps leave women journalists uniquely vulnerable. While Kenya’s Journalists’ Code of Conduct exists, it does not robustly integrate the realities of the digital environment. The meeting called for urgent reforms to ensure journalists are protected comprehensively — online and offline.
The Legal Path Forward: Strengthening Protections.
Ibrahim Oduor, Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and President of the Media Lawyers Association, stressed the importance of anchoring digital safety protections within stronger legal frameworks. He explained:
“At the top of legal protection are constitutional provisions, followed by statutory provisions enacted by Parliament, and then subsidiary legislation. The current Code of Conduct is part of the statutory instruments, but as it stands, it may soon be reclassified as subsidiary legislation, meaning its authority could diminish. If we cannot anchor digital safety reforms directly into the code, we must explore other avenues — whether through parliamentary statutes, ministerial regulations, or enforceable industry guidelines.”
He added that any guideline or subsidiary legislation must ultimately derive authority from the Constitution and Parliament to have full legal force, warning that “a guideline at the lowest level cannot supersede a constitutional provision.” Oduor urged the industry to reflect deeply on how to enshrine new digital safety protections in the legal system moving forward.
Renewed Optimism and Collective Commitment.
Queenter Mbori, Executive Director of AMWIK, closed the session with a powerful and emotional reflection. She said:
“When we started this discussion in the morning, the mood was somber, and it felt like we were just about to give up the fight. But after the very exciting discussions, I feel like we have been given a new reason to fight. We seem stronger, more structured, and clearer about how to navigate this journey toward ensuring the safety and security of journalists in this country.”
Mbori emphasized the importance of documenting the outcomes of the meeting and moving toward tangible action, adding that, “Having a good mix of partners — from the legal fraternity, journalists’ unions, digital rights groups, and academia — has made this dialogue so productive and rich.”
A Call to Action by KICTANet.
As the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) reviews the Journalists’ Code of Conduct, KICTANet urges all stakeholders — journalists, media houses, digital rights advocates, civil society organizations, and policymakers — to actively participate in shaping a safer, more inclusive media environment. Protecting women journalists from digital violence must be a top priority. We call upon the industry to submit strong, gender-sensitive proposals that integrate digital, physical, and mental health into Kenya’s media regulations. Let us seize this moment to champion a safer digital space for all.