Media development action with informed and engaged societies
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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African Woman and Child Feature Service (AWC)

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Established in 1994, the African Woman and Child Feature Service (AWC) is a media non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Nairobi, Kenya, that works to mainstream gender in and through the media for development. AWC disseminates information through feature articles, published in mainstream newspapers throughout Africa and beyond. It also produces training manuals and hand books, news bulletins, magazines, and occasionally audio and video productions for broadcast via radio, television, and the internet. The organisation trains journalists and other media practitioners, as well as organisations in the region, on issues related to gender, media, and development.
Communication Strategies

The organisation's activities are derived from five core programme areas:

  • mainstreaming gender through the media;
  • lobby and advocacy focusing on a transformative framework;
  • gender and governance;
  • content development and training; and
  • monitoring and evaluation.


AWC’s advocacy strategy aims to bring crucial issues and debates into the public sphere, as well as to policy makers. In this way, AWC and its partners work to advocate around such issues as the rights of children, reproductive health, and domestic violence. Along with providing regular content to mainstream media on a variety of topics, AWC has undertaken various projects over time, particularly as part of efforts to raise these issues in the media. These include the following:

    a website where people can access different feature articles covering issues such as peace and security, education, environment, health, gender and governance, information and communication technology, science, and sustainable development.
Development Issues

Gender, Women, HIV/AIDS.

Key Points

According to the organisation, by continental standards, Kenya is still far behind the African Union recommendation of 50 percent representation for women in parliament. In the media, women were also discouraged from reporting on what is referred to as "hard news", covering parliament, courts, economics, or policy analysis. This prompted AWC to take initiative in training a few women in these areas.

Partners

Gender Links, Press Service (IPS),Uganda Media Women Association Norwegian Church Aid, Fredskorpset, HIVOS, Ford Foundation (East Africa), Action Aid International Kenya, Mediefabrikken, Tanzania Media Women Association (TAMWA), Centre for African Family Studies, UNIFEM, UNDP, UNFPA, FEMNET, CIDA GESP, SIDA, Open Society - SA, League of Kenyan Women Voters, The School of Journalism (University of Nairobi), Heinrich Boll Foundation, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, UNICEF, Feminist Peace Network, Women in Media and News.