For ALL Women and Girls: Adelle Onyango on the power of women in media

#ForAllWomenAndGirls is a rallying call for action on the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Adelle Onyango from Kenya talks about the women in the media and ending violence against women and girls.

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Adelle Onyango (in brown) interacts with a guest during a shoot for her Legally Clueless podcast in Nairobi.
Adelle Onyango (in brown) interacts with a guest during a shoot for her Legally Clueless podcast in Nairobi. Photo: UN Women/James Ochweri

Amplifying African Women's Voices

Adelle Onyango, a seasoned storyteller, with over a decade of experience as a radio presenter and producer, runs a media platform, Legally Clueless Africa, which amplifies African stories and creates wellness interventions.

“Storytelling for me, is a way for us to not just add more voices to the global African narrative, but also to talk about complex social issues like gender-based violence in a way that sparks empathy and change,” she says.

Ageism, sexual harassment and discrimination against women in the media

Onyango highlights the underrepresentation of women in media and business as a key challenge. She has been underestimated due to her age – she is 35 years old –and gender.

“It’s challenging when pitching for business, because I am a younger African woman, so it’s assumed that I do not know what I’m talking about,” she shares.

“And sometimes I’ve had to navigate men in positions of power sexually harassing me.”

Despite the challenges, Onyango has built a strong team and community of African women in business who support her efforts – not a small accomplishment.

According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), women make up about 35 per cent of the workforce in the media industry but hold only 20 per cent of senior editorial positions. A report by the Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK) in 2024 showed that about 60 per cent of media professionals, predominantly women, reported experiencing sexual harassment during their careers. A significant 87.3 per cent of survey respondents identified fear of victimization as a major hurdle in addressing sexual harassment, and 64 per cent considered current policies insufficient in curbing sexual harassment.

Stronger laws and support for survivors of violence against women in Kenya

Onyango advocates for stronger laws and better implementation of these laws to stop violence against women and girls. She points to the persistent gaps in access to justice and the emergence of new forms of violence, such as technology-facilitated violence against women.

“As a survivor of rape, I still do not see systems that support survivors in accessing justice in my country. We are still lacking in evidence collection and preservation, in implementation of our laws, and we have a desensitized police force who often retraumatize survivors and more,” she says.

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action: A milestone for women’s rights, and unfinished business

Onyango first learned about the Beijing Declaration from her late mother, while she was in primary school. “There was a well-known woman leader, running for president in Kenya for the first time and my mother was very excited. I just remember her repeating in Kiswahili, ‘This is Beijing! This is Beijing!’.” The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – which was often referred as just ‘Beijing’ came to represent the liberation of women, shares Onyango.

She views the 1995 agreement adopted by 189 governments as both a milestone and a reminder of ongoing challenges. While it elevated the concept of ‘women’s rights are human rights,’ many issues it aimed to address, like , equal opportunities for women, and gender-based violence persist today. There are also new forms of violence emerging such a tech-facilitated violence, and laws around the world are not adapting quickly enough to recognize and criminalize these forms of violence.

For All Women and Girls… Agency, dignity and safety

Onyango is optimistic and feels inspired to keep pushing forward because she believes that more people are good than not. “I want agency, dignity and safety for all women and girls. I have seen how revolutionary it has been for me to have these. Our society in its entirety would be better if women and girls had these three vital things,” she shares.

Onyango partners with UN Women on advocacy campaigns on gender equality and women’s rights.

Get involved: For ALL Women And Girls

The world cannot wait for another 30 years to fulfill the promise of gender equality. Today we stand stronger, more united, more diverse, and determined to become the first generation to achieve gender equality.

On the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, join UN Women’s global campaign #ForAllWomenAndGirls.

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