Dr Yemisi Akinbobola

I am an award-winning journalist, academic, consultant and podcast host with a passion for the intersections of women's rights, media, and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda. In 2021, I was recognised as one of 100 Most Influential African Women. In 2016 I co-founded African Women in Media, an international non-governmental organisation, which aims to impact positively the way media functions in relation to women. We hold an annual conference that brings together academics, media practitioners, policy actors and CSOs. Our range of partners has included Ford Foundation, Natural Resource Governance Institute, the African Union, Google News Initiative, GIZ, UNESCO, Fojo Media Institute, International Organisation for Migration, the European Union, International Labour Organisation. In 2020, we trained 600 women journalists across Africa. As a published academic, I am an active member of the Media and Place research cluster, within the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research, where I am Associate Director of Research with responsibility for Doctoral Research Degrees and Researcher Education. My research interests are in the intersections of Women's Rights and Media, and Media and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda. I am a senior lecturer, and I have taught at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate levels and supervised PhD candidates. I am a SEDA Recognised Doctoral Supervisor. I was the Course Director for MA Global Media Management, which recruited students worldwide. My management roles include leading international research partnerships. I am a strong advocate of internationalising research, the curriculum and student experience. I am on several institute, faculty and University level committees. I was the editorial consultant for the UNSCR1325 Commemorative Book 'She Stands for Peace; 20 Years, 20 Journeys', a collaboration between the United Nations Office to the African Union, and the African Union Commission. The book captures the stories of 20 African women peacebuilders. Following the successful launch of the book by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, we launched the podcast 'She Stands for Peace', which I host.