The chapter seeks to have a progressive representation and portrayal of all entities in the media and advertising
The Unstereotype Alliance has launched its Kenyan chapter, the second in Africa after South Africa, in a bid to eradicate harmful stereotypes from advertising and media in the country.
The Kenya chapter will focus on broadening the representation of women and men in traditional roles that perpetuate negative social norms and hinder progress of gender equality.
The Unstereotype Alliance is convened by the UN Women, the United Nations entity for gender and women’s empowerment.
In a report announcing the launch, UN Women point out that, in Kenya, harmful social norms contribute to increased acceptance of gender-based violence, lack of economic decision-making for women and constricted opportunities in the country’s job market.
Kenya Takes Historic Step To Protect Women in Media
from left to right: Peninah Karibe, Sophie Ikenye and Anne Ngugi.
File
Kenya has become the second country in Africa to launch the Unstereotype Alliance that seeks to broaden the representation of women, and men, in advertising and media, in an effort to curb negative social norms.
The Kenya National Chapter seeks to increase empowered women represented in the media to have impactful influences on both public and private environments.
While the media has for a while highlighted the widening gender imbalance, it has also been guilty of misrepresenting women in terms of the distribution of leadership roles and allocation of space for media coverage.