Angola: Using Journalism to Advance Women’s Rights and Equality

This story highlights how an Angolan journalist uses ethical, gender‑responsive reporting to amplify women’s voices, challenge harmful stereotypes and strengthen advocacy for equality across Southern Africa.

Maria L S D Conceição Pereira is a journalist and gender equality advocate from Angola who works across Southern Africa, using media as a tool for social justice. Her leadership is grounded in the belief that journalism is not only about reporting facts, but also about shaping narratives, uplifting marginalised voices, and strengthening accountability. 

Before her work, many women’s stories especially those related to gender‑based violence, discrimination and exclusion were misrepresented or silenced. Newsrooms were often male‑dominated, lacking awareness of survivor‑centred and gender‑responsive reporting. This resulted in harmful stereotypes, limited visibility for women, and reluctance from survivors to speak to the media. Public conversations on gender justice remained narrow, and the transformative power of journalism was underutilised. 

Maria’s leadership emerged through a combination of advocacy, training, and ethical journalism. She engaged in regional consultations and capacity‑building programmes focused on media ethics, gender equality, and women’s rights. These strengthened her skills in survivor‑center reporting and shaped her approach to producing stories that respect dignity, challenge bias and elevate women’s agency. 

Working directly with women, community groups, other journalists and civil society organisations, she created safe spaces where experiences could be shared without fear. Her commitment to ethical storytelling encouraged women to speak out and participate in dialogue. By collaborating with regional media and gender‑focused networks, she ensured that local experiences reached wider platforms and contributed to policy and advocacy conversations. 

She also mentored emerging journalists, sharing best practices on ethical interviewing, informed consent, and context‑sensitive reporting. Her leadership helped foster cross‑border media partnerships and a growing community of journalists committed to shifting harmful norms. 

The change that followed has taken place at multiple levels. Media practices have become more gender‑responsive, with journalists increasingly applying ethical principles when reporting on women’s issues. Survivors now have safer avenues to share their experiences, and women’s voices appear more frequently and respectfully in public debates. Communities benefit from more accurate information, while journalists gain improved skills in gender‑sensitive reporting. 

Evidence of this change includes published stories, feedback from communities, the use of survivor‑center language in media spaces, participation in regional advocacy forums and increased willingness among women to collaborate with journalists. Civil society organisations have also strengthened their use of media for advocacy 

Sustainability of this progress relies on continuous ethical journalism, strengthened partnerships with women’s rights organisations, and ongoing mentoring of young reporters. By documenting good practices and engaging in cross‑border collaborations, Maria contributes to long‑term cultural change and systemic impact. Her work reinforces media as a powerful tool for equality and lays the foundation for future generations of gender‑responsive journalists. 

Quotes 
Leandro Gouveia, Before, I felt my story did not matter. Now I feel heard, respected, and able to help others.

Wilson Mateus, Working with journalists who respect our experiences has given our community a voice.