Filamu Dada

This project was conceived by Media Focus on Africa as a documentary short film initiative running parallel to the TV series Ms. President, with the aim of increasing the participation of women in political leadership. Seven female filmmaker teams were selected to take part in a workshop and produce seven short documentary films on Kenyan women leaders in the lead-up to and following Kenya’s 2022 General Elections. The major goal was to promote greater representation of women in leadership.Other partners included the Kenya Film Commission, Women In Film Awards (WIFA), and Fleur van Dissel Visual Communications. The Kenyan mentors were Zippy Kimundu and Lydia Matata, with Fleur van Dissel serving as the supervising mentor.

The seven film teams followed these women leaders as subjects:
The Story of Dorice Aburi Ndonya (Kisii) by Irene Mukonyoro & Debra Ngeru
Cheptil Kanyool (Nandi) by Miriam Koske & Migan Kibet
Genowa – Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay) by Sandra Ruong & Wendy Kirorei
Etomononi Nagol – Chief Caroline Ncharo (Kajiado) by Cynthia Abdalla & Ivy Kagai
The Nomad’s Daughter – Fatuma Dulo (Isiolo) by Gumato Denge & Aisha Hussein
The Flower that Bloomed – Sabina Chege by Sally Ngoiri & Joan Rispa
The Force Within – Cecily Mbarire (Embu) by Immaculate Murugi & Joan Kabugu

A major and inspiring outcome was that all the women leaders featured in these documentaries went on to succeed, holding positions across different levels of leadership—from village chief to Members of Parliament, Women Representatives, Senators, and Governors. It was a remarkable achievement and a strong testament to the power of storytelling in advancing women’s leadership.