NEW STUDY EXPOSES GAPS IN MEDIA COVERAGE OF FEMICIDE AND SGBV IN EAST AFRICA
A new study by the Aga Khan University’s Graduate School of Media and Communications (GSMC) has revealed glaring gaps in how East African media cover femicide and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), exposing an imbalance that focuses heavily on victims while failing to hold perpetrators accountable.
The report titled “Media Framing of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in East Africa” analysed more than 1,200 news stories published between January 2024 and April 2025 from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The study found that while media outlets often highlight the suffering of victims, only three percent of stories placed perpetrators at the centre of coverage, resulting in a lack of accountability and continued impunity.
According to the study, over 60 percent of the stories were dominated by voices from government officials and representatives from the criminal justice system, while victims’ families, survivors, and justice actors remained largely invisible. The findings suggest that the absence of perpetrators in both initial and follow-up reporting allows them to fade from public memory, reinforcing a culture of impunity and weakening public confidence in justice systems.
Professor Nancy Booker, the Dean of GSMC, said the findings demonstrate the urgent need for newsrooms to rethink their approach to reporting on SGBV and femicide. “This study underscores the critical role of the media in shaping how societies understand and respond to gender-based violence,” she said. “It challenges journalists and editors to move beyond the headlines to tell stories that humanise survivors, question impunity, and hold systems accountable. Journalism has the power not just to inform, but to drive justice and change.”
The study shows that Kenya accounted for 54 percent of all regional coverage, followed by Tanzania at 28 percent and Uganda at 18 percent. While Kenya and Uganda demonstrated strong thematic framing—placing incidents within broader structural and cultural contexts—Tanzania’s coverage was more episodic, focusing on isolated incidents rather than systemic issues.
Lead researcher Dr Hesbon Hansen Owilla said that despite increased awareness, coverage across the region remains largely event-driven. “There’s growing awareness in East African media that gender-based violence and femicide are societal issues rather than isolated incidents,” he noted. “But coverage remains largely event-driven, and perpetrators are still invisible, especially in follow-up reporting. That invisibility fosters impunity and weakens deterrence.”
The report also noted that only 11 percent of stories amplified survivor voices despite their centrality to the issue. Editors interviewed cited legal barriers, fear of defamation suits, and editorial caution as major factors limiting perpetrator-focused reporting. This cautious approach, the study found, results in news that evokes empathy for victims but fails to promote justice or deterrence.
While there was evidence of progress in framing gender-based violence within broader social structures, the study revealed persistent gaps in accountability-focused journalism. Media houses with established gender desks were found to perform better in sustained reporting and follow-up coverage, showing a deliberate effort to highlight justice processes and institutional responses.
The study also revealed that female journalists were more likely to produce feature stories and opinion pieces that delved into the causes and implications of femicide and SGBV. These reflective pieces were more likely to include survivor perspectives and explore systemic issues, contributing to more balanced storytelling.
However, most newsrooms across East Africa still lack institutionalised gender desks, which limits their capacity for consistent and gender-sensitive reporting. The report recommends that media houses establish and adequately fund gender desks to improve the quality and depth of SGBV coverage.
It further calls on governments, regulators, and donors to support journalism fellowships and training programmes focused on perpetrator accountability and long-form investigations into gender-based violence cases.
Professor Booker said the media must move beyond sympathy to accountability if gender-based violence is to be curbed. “The media is not just a mirror of society, it is an agent of change,” she said. “This report is a wake-up call to reimagine how we tell stories about gender-based violence, and whose voices we choose to centre.”
The report recommends the development of newsroom guidelines to ensure balanced reporting that gives equal attention to victims, perpetrators, and justice systems. It also urges closer collaboration between media, academia, and civil society to sustain attention on gender-based violence beyond advocacy periods such as the 16 Days of Activism campaign.
The GSMC study concludes that without consistent follow-up and accountability-focused reporting, media coverage risks normalising gendered violence and perpetuating impunity. The researchers stress that only by making perpetrators visible and tracking justice outcomes can journalism effectively contribute to deterrence and systemic reform.
Launched in 2015, the Aga Khan University’s Graduate School of Media and Communications is a leading regional institution that trains journalists, communicators, and media leaders. Through research and training, GSMC aims to promote ethical, evidence-based journalism that drives social justice and strengthens democracy in East Africa.
