Yvonne Okwara: ‘Yellow-yellow’ female journalists are ‘favoured’ by bosses
TV journalist Yvonne Okwara says she has been subjected to open bias by her bosses in the media industry in Kenya, simply because she is dark-skinned.
However, the seasoned Citizen TV news anchor fell short of revealing at which media house she was discriminated against.
YELLOW-YELLOW
In a lengthy social media post, the eloquent Okwara also argued that light-skinned female journalists in Kenya, don’t have to work as hard as their darker-skinned colleagues to make it in the trade.
She called on her fans to treat the issue of skin colour discrimination in the country as seriously as racism.
Without sharing examples, Okwara said light-skinned journalists are considered more beautiful and can ‘get away with murder’.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
“We are talking about ‘Black Lives Matter’ but we also need to reflect on our own culture in this part of the world. Especially in this (media) industry. Darker skinned girls and women are treated differently. We have to work twice as hard, be twice as smart to get ahead. I’ve seen privilege that light skin has accorded others. I have seen them get away with murder,” she said.
Okwara, who started out as a radio journalist before transmitting to TV, further said that due to her dark skin, she is expected to be smarter because ‘she doesn’t have the looks’.
“It’s exhausting at times. It needs to change,” she lamented.