Media urged to give women aspirants fair coverage

National Assembly Deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso has asked the media in the country to give regular coverage to women leaders.

She claimed women leaders were not getting fair media attention like their male counterparts.

Ms Laboso was addressing Nation Media Group journalists at a Nairobi hotel during a training on elections and conflict reporting.

"Help us to be visible so that we can raise our issues, be supported and be heard. Support women this election time so that we are able to clinch gubernatorial and senatorial seats," she said.

Ms Laboso, who is contesting for the Bomet gubernatorial seat on a Jubilee Party ticket said all genders should be treated equally by media houses.

"Women leaders are speaking out good and sensible things but they are not being covered hence they can't be heard, let the media offer enough coverage to women leaders," she said.

Ms Ann Nkirote, an MCA candidate for the Ntima West ward in Meru County on Mazingira Greens Party of Kenya, said she is yet to receive good coverage from the media.

She called on the media to offer women leaders an equal opportunity of coverage the way they do to their male counterparts because culture is a great setback to women in Meru County.

The Association of Media Women in Kenya (Amwik) board chairperson Pamela Mburia called on the media to be gender sensitive in their coverage to stop bias.

"Let journalists cover all leaders male and female, the media platform should accommodate all of us," she said.

Nation Media Group Online Editor Churchill Otieno said women leaders should take advantage of the media space.

"The women politicians should be ready at any time for media coverage, they are disadvantaged because of poor preparation or being uncooperative when sought by journalists,” he said.