Broadcast: March 3, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.
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The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HERO) is a Foreign Policy series about women creating change through economic empowerment, hosted by Reena Ninan.
In this episode, we learn about efforts to increase the number of women politicians in Africa.
We begin with a surprising reality TV show in Kenya called “Ms President,” where millions of weekly viewers watched dozens of women compete to be the country’s next “head of state,” so to speak.
Then, we hear about Nigerian efforts to get more women on the ballot in last year’s election and why they largely failed.
Program Details:
Reporting from Nairobi, Kenya, journalist Eunice Maina interviews Nereah Amondi Oketch, a contestant on a first-of-its-kind reality TV program called, “Ms President,” which tried to train women to be politicians. The nonprofit Media Focus in Africa produced the show, with funding from the European Union and UN Women, among others. The goal was to increase the number of women politicians in Kenya.
Then, host Reena Ninan speaks with Nichole Grossman from American University. Grossman conducted dozens of interviews with women candidates who ran for office in Nigeria last year. These women ran with the main political party there, which had a big initiative to increase its female representation. And yet, they failed to deliver this promise. What Grossman learned from female candidates is eye opening – and gives a much fuller picture of what Nigerian politics is like for women.
Finally, reporter Yecenu Sasetu talks to Honourable Kate Raymond Mamuno, who shares how she got elected as an assembly member in Nigeria, against the odds. This included help from a non-profit focused on influencing male voters, called Connected Development.