The Journalist developing Rwanda’s Media for Women Scovia Mutesi

In a newsroom dominated by male editors and sidelined stories, Scovia Mutesi refused to be quiet. As a Rwandan journalist, she had worked her way up to editor-in-chief at a television station, but one thing constantly frustrated her the way women’s voices were missing from the media.

“They told me, ‘Scovia please, women stories are just too many.’ But I said who else will tell them if we don’t?” Scovia recalls, her determination evident in her words.

Instead of giving up, Scovia made a bold decision: she built her own media house. In 2018, she launched Mama Urwagasabo, a digital platform focused entirely on stories about Rwandan women and girls. What began as a dream quickly became a movement.

Her work took her to rural villages and remote islands, places where young girls were suffering in silence. She gave them a voice and the country started to listen. One of her most powerful stories came from Nkombo Island, in the far southwest of Rwanda. There, early marriage and abuse were destroying futures. Scovia’s team covered the crisis, and the impact was immediate.

NGOs and government officials began responding. Prevention campaigns were launched. Community leaders took notice. “If you go there now,” she says with quiet pride, “they will tell you about the journalist who changed their daughters’ lives.”

But Scovia didn’t stop at one platform. She also helped launch the Association of Women Media Owners for Change, a group supporting women-led outlets and mentoring female journalists. She’s been clear in her mission: more women need to be not just reporters, but decision-makers in the media.

“We don’t want to just write women’s stories we want to control how they are told,” she said in a 2024 interview. “That’s the only way we ensure dignity, fairness, and truth.”

Her work earned her continental recognition, including the OFAB Africa Media Award for 2024, honoring excellence in science and development reporting.

Through every article, every field visit, and every headline, Scovia is showing Rwanda and Africa that media isn’t just a tool. It’s a bridge. It’s a mirror. It’s a weapon for justice when used with purpose.

As Aline Niyigena,a student pursuing Arts in Mass Media and Communications , notes, “Scovia Mutesi reminds us that change doesn’t always come with microphones or hashtags. Sometimes, it comes from sitting with one girl in one village, listening to her story, and making sure the world hears it.”

A Message for Every Young African Woman:

- If no one tells your story, tell it yourself.

- If you’re not invited to the table, build your own newsroom.

- And if they say “women stories are too many” remind them that we are not too many. We are just getting started.

Written by Aline Niyigena

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