Writing for a Better Future: Using Journalism to Redefine Women’s Family Roles

Jackline Obiere - A future journalist

Jackline Obiero has one goal: by becoming a  journalist, she hopes to to help change the reality for girls in Kenya–especially in the realms of education and familial expectations.

She is a student at Lifunga Girls Secondary School in rural Kenya and is convinced that the media needs female voices – voices like hers that can shed light on the unique challenges that ordinary girls in Kenya face daily.

Many girls in rural Sub-Saharan Africa take on the responsibility of looking after their families while striving to evade early pregnancy and marriage. Jackline knows these struggles all too well. She knows what it means to lose a parent early in life, what it means to have to look after your younger siblings when you are still a child, and what it means to live in absolute poverty.

When Jackline was 8 years old, her mother passed away, leaving her and her five siblings without a primary caregiver.  As a result of her mother’s death and her family’s dire economic circumstances, Jackline was unable to attend school for almost six years. Now, at 23, she is at Lifunga Girls Secondary School and loves it. Jackline is determined to recoup those lost years. She wants to continue her education at the University of Nairobi and study journalism, so she can write about the state of education for girls in Kenya.

Jackline also hopes to give voice to the unjust cultural expectation that girls should look after the health, education and well-being of their relatives while boys go to build their own families. “As a female journalist, I can help to shift this imbalance of familial responsibility,” Jackline explains. “It won’t be easy but it will be possible if we encourage support for all girls in Kenya to receive an education and to have a chance at creating a better life.”

Stay in touch: We are hoping to post a piece written by Jackline soon!

Find out more about the impact of empowering young women by watching a short video by girleffect.org.