AUB–RAI Italia Virtual Forum Opens with Strong Call for Media Action Against Femicide in Africa

The African Union of Broadcasting (AUB), in partnership with RAI Italia, on Monday 15 December, 2025 formally opened its Virtual Forum on Reporting Femicide in Africa, bringing together journalists, legal experts, academics, policymakers and international partners from across the continent and beyond.

The two-day forum, held under the theme “From Awareness to Action: Media for Women’s Safety,” is part of AUB’s continental initiative to strengthen the capacity of African journalists to report femicide responsibly, investigate systemic failures, and contribute to prevention and accountability.

Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs calls for responsible, investigative media

Opening the session, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, represented by the Technical Adviser to the Minister on Strategy and Policy, Mike Imafidor, described femicide as one of the most urgent human rights and development crises facing Africa. Citing recent UN Women and UNODC data, she noted that Africa now records the highest number and rate of femicide globally.

She highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing efforts, including the strengthening of the national GBV data dashboard, expansion of Sexual Assault Referral Centres, enforcement of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, and nationwide awareness campaigns. Commending AUB for convening the forum, the Minister described the media as a critical partner in prevention, justice, and social transformation.

AUB Director General: “The time for media lamentation is over”

In his address, AUB Director General, Mr. Grégoire Ndjaka, welcomed participants on behalf of AUB’s 85 member organizations and invited them to observe a minute of silence in memory of femicide victims across Africa.

He described femicide as a growing moral, social and statistical crisis, citing alarming increases in reported cases across several African countries and data indicating that over 20,000 women were killed on the continent in a single year. According to him, femicide thrives on weak legal frameworks, inconsistent law enforcement, harmful cultural practices, and judicial inertia.

Mr. Ndjaka stressed that the role of the media must go beyond reporting tragic incidents as isolated “human-interest stories.” He called for investigative journalism that exposes legal gaps, slow judicial reforms, and political accountability failures, while also giving space to survivors and examining the long-term social and psychological costs of gender-based violence.

He announced that AUB had conducted the first exclusive survey on how African newsrooms cover femicide, the findings of which reveal urgent gaps in skills, ethics, investigative depth and gender-sensitive reporting. The forum, he said, represents AUB’s commitment to moving from rhetoric to action, with structured training, ethical frameworks and strategic partnerships-particularly with RAI Italia.

RAI Italia underscores global solidarity and broadcaster responsibility

Speaking next, Mrs. Simona Martorelli, Director of International Relations and European Affairs at RAI Italia, reaffirmed RAI’s commitment to international cooperation on gender equality and media responsibility.

She emphasized the critical role public broadcasters play in shaping public attitudes, influencing justice systems, and fostering cross-border collaboration on sensitive issues such as femicide.

She noted that partnerships like the AUB-RAI initiative are essential for sharing best practices, strengthening investigative capacity, and ensuring journalists are better protected when covering high-risk stories.

Day One sessions: data, law and newsroom practice

Moderated by the AUB Head of English Desk, Onengiye Fyneface, Day One continued with the presentation of the AUB Survey on Femicide Coverage in African Media, delivered by Margaret Komol, Head of Projects and Training at AUB.

The survey provided evidence-based insights into newsroom challenges, safety risks, ethical dilemmas and training gaps confronting journalists across the continent.

This was followed by newsroom case studies from NTA Nigeria, CRTV Cameroon, TVT Togo, and RAI Radio, highlighting practical experiences, challenges and lessons in reporting femicide in different national contexts.

A cross-border dialogue on the legal and security dimensions of reporting femicide, featuring Barrister Endurance Endwell-Chinda (PhD) of the African Women Lawyers Association and Barrister Ilaria Boiano (PhD), a women’s rights lawyer and criminal law scholar.

The session examined how media investigations can better support judicial processes without compromising survivor dignity or journalist safety.

Addressing cultural norms and media framing

Discussions later turned to the deeper societal drivers of femicide. In a key session on “Understanding cultural norms as drivers of femicide in Africa,” Dr. Evelyne Mengue A Koung, journalist and lecturer at the Advanced School of Mass Communication in Cameroon, examined how entrenched social norms, power relations and belief systems contribute to gender-based violence.

She challenged journalists to report on culture critically and responsibly, without reinforcing stereotypes, while engaging traditional and community actors as part of prevention efforts.

AUB positions media as agents of prevention and justice

Through this landmark forum, AUB reaffirmed its leadership role in advancing development journalism, gender-sensitive reporting and investigative excellence across Africa. By convening policymakers, legal experts, academics and journalists, the Union aims to ensure that African media become powerful allies in prevention, resilience and justice for women and girls.