Women Empowerment: The Roles and Challenges Facing Women in Alternative Media Outlets (AMOs), Nairobi, Kenya.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the roles women working in Alternative Media Outlets (AMOS) in Nairobi, Kenya play, to investigate th challenges they face, and to assess the extent to which increase in equal opport nities with men holding similar positions also increases empowerment for th women involved. The survey method was used. A hundred (100) questionnaires were distributed among women working in print, video and audio AMOs. Seventy (70) of the sel administered questionnaires were completed by the respondents and receives back. The scores were analyzed using the SPSS 10.0 for Windows. Among the ke findings are that • The primary media roles of women working in AMOs are management directing, producing, writing, editing, sales and even marketing. • The major challenges that women working in AMOS face include lack c funds for further training and for purchasing the most updated equipment demanding family responsibilities, as well as being stereotypically treated Over three quarters of the women had attained the participation level Longwe's Hierarchy of Needs (LHNS) paradigm. This is a level wher women are involved in decision-making, and also in the process of policy- making, planning and administration. Over three quarters of the women studied had moved from the mainstream media and other organizations to join existing AMOS or to found their own Subsequently, majority of them (70%) stated that they were participating their AMOS' decision-making processes and nearly half of them (45%) had some control in their AMOS. Possibly, this finding implies that most of the women felt empowered in the AMOS where they worked, and did not wish to go back to their former organizations. Although this study used a small sample of only 100 women, the findings could be a good pointer to the many possibilities, both educational and job availability open in the empowerment of women working in AMOS. Also, a number of aspects calling for further research in relation to the roles of and challenges facing women in AMOS, are highlighted