By Rahim Abdul
Preparations for the annual conference of the Association of Women in Media (AWOME) have reached an advanced stage with everything now in place ahead of the highly anticipated gathering scheduled for October 28 and 29, 2025, in Salima District.
According to the organization’s Secretary General, Edith Kaira Gondwe, this year’s event will bring together 91 female journalists from across Malawi for two days of interactive learning, mentorship and professional exchange.
Gondwe said the conference will not only strengthen solidarity among women in the media but also empower them to take up leadership roles both in the newsroom and beyond.
“The participants will have a chance to learn about the importance of women assuming decision-making positions, financial planning for retirement and awareness on cervical cancer an issue that continues to affect many women in the country,” Gondwe said.
The meeting will be held under the theme “Beyond Elections: Women’s Voices in Governance,” which seeks to encourage female journalists to report more deeply on governance and women’s participation in leadership, rather than limiting their coverage to women contesting in elections.
Gondwe added that this year’s guest of honour will be Justice Annabel Mtalimanja, Chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), whose presence will underscore the importance of women’s representation in key national institutions.
Over the years, AWOME has played a crucial role in promoting gender equality in the media sector by advocating for fair representation, building capacity among women journalists and pushing for balanced reporting on gender-related issues.
This year’s gathering is expected to feature panel discussions, experience-sharing sessions and mentorship programmes led by veteran female journalists and experts from various fields.
Topics will include media ethics, digital transformation, mental health for journalists and strategies for promoting women’s voices in decision-making spaces.
Gondwe emphasized that the conference will also serve as a platform to reflect on the progress made by female journalists in influencing public discourse and holding leaders accountable, while identifying gaps that still hinder women’s advancement in media leadership.
“As AWOME, we believe that empowering women in media is a step toward strengthening democracy and ensuring that women’s stories are told with fairness and depth,” she added.
The Salima conference comes at a time when Malawi continues to witness growing advocacy for gender parity in various sectors, with calls for media practitioners to amplify women’s voices in political, economic and social leadership.
