My win is for women journalists, says Kaija

After receiving the award in Women in News Editorial Leadership Award 2018 at a ceremony at the ongoing WAN-IFRA World News Media Congress and World Editors’ Forum in Estoril-Cascais, Portugal, on Thursday, New Vision Editor-in-Chief Barbara Kaija says her win was a win for all women journalists in Africa.

“This win is a win for all women journalists in Uganda, and in Africa,” Kaija said after receiving the award from WAN-IFRA President Michael Golden on Thursday.

The award recognises an exemplary contribution of an editor to her newsroom – and under her leadership the contribution of her newspaper – to society.

Barbara Kaija

Kaija, was named the 2018 Africa Laureate, while Noura al Hourani, Lead Arabic Editor at Syria Direct, was named the 2018 MENA (Middle East & North African) Laureate.

“Today is a win for the resilience of the professional woman of Africa who is expected to play all the traditional roles of a good wife, good mother, good cook, good housekeeper and an excellent professional,” Kaija said.

“I am humbled to join the few women laureates in newsrooms in Africa and I pray that this will grow into a large army and large voice for the voiceless in our society,” Kaija said, adding: “I am not an exceptionally talented person so I have had to work doubly hard. I joined journalism from the very important, but less prestigious door of sub-editing and this could have worked against me, but it did not.”