Brenda Okoth, Kenya

For Brenda Okoth, an essential part of being a journalist is knowing the right question to ask. So when she decided to tackle the topic of transgendered people in her native Kenya, she thought about the bigger question first. While many people might ask, "who are these disgusting people?" Okoth thought the right question was, "why are their rights being denied when it violates the country’s Bill of Rights?

Okoth got a degree in communication and media technology from Maseno University and has worked her way steadily up the journalism ladder. Today she is the deputy features editor at Radio Africa (The Star), where she manages the writing staff, commissions articles and even writes her own, such as her finalist entry, a three-part series in the magazine.

Her article, "Gender identity: The other sex" was published around the Transgender Day of Remembrance, marked annually to memorialize those killed due to hatred or fear of transgender or gender-nonconforming individuals. She was inspired to write the article when she met Audrey, a transgender woman living in Kenya, along with other members of the Transgender Education and Advocacy group. Their story needed to be told, since they face daily discrimination and exclusion from society. She thinks that highlighting issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people is a way she can contribute to a more tolerant and open-minded society.

Link to story "Gender identity: The other sex"