JAFEC

What JAFEC does

JAFEC (Journalistes d'action, Femmes de coeur) is a non-profit professional association founded on July 26, 2006 by Liliane Nyatcha and legally registered in Douala, Cameroon in July 2007. The association serves women journalists working across print, broadcast, and digital media outlets in Cameroon, with operational headquarters in Yaoundé. Its core mission is to address the underrepresentation of women in challenging journalism beats (politics, sports, science, economics) and in editorial leadership positions by providing professional development, advocacy with newsroom editors, and a peer community for female communication professionals.

JAFEC's primary products and activities center on community-led programming rather than technology. The association publishes Jafec Mag, a bilingual thematic magazine with six editions released between October 2012 and December 2018, covering topics such as women in media, International Women's Day, women entrepreneurs, municipal governance, and legal protections. Beyond publications, JAFEC organizes press club meetings, annual conferences, and capacity-building workshops — including a 2023 International Women's Day workshop on digital technology and ICT for women journalists held with CIPESA and Defyhatenow/Civic Watch. Members have won three documented awards, including the international RFI/RSF/OIF Prix francophone de la Liberté de la Presse (2010) and the continental AISI Media Award (2006).

The association operates on a subscription-based membership model funded by dues from women journalists, supplemented by in-kind support from partnerships with international NGOs and diplomatic missions. JAFEC has no proprietary technology stack, no digital product platform, and no disclosed external funding rounds. Its go-to-market is entirely community-led, relying on direct member engagement, free magazine distribution via its website, and recurring annual events. With 11–50 staff and an operating scope confined to Cameroon, JAFEC functions as a niche professional society rather than a scaled commercial enterprise.

Name

JAFEC

Legal name

Association Journalistes d'action, Femmes de coeur

Website

https://jafec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

JAFEC is a Cameroon-based non-profit association founded in 2006 that supports women journalists through professional development workshops, conferences, press clubs, and a bilingual magazine (Jafec Mag) to address underrepresentation in challenging journalism beats.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Yaoundé

HQ country

Cameroon

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: JAFEC operates as a non-profit association funded primarily through membership dues from women journalists in Cameroon.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

JAFEC is a non-profit professional association that brings together female communication professionals in Cameroon. It operates as a community-led organization that empowers women journalists through advocacy, professional development workshops, conferences, press clubs, and the publication of Jafec Mag, a thematic magazine covering women in media, entrepreneurship, legal protections, and gender equality topics.

Product overview

JAFEC is a non-profit association of female journalists in Cameroon that publishes Jafec Mag, a magazine dedicated to promoting women's excellence in journalism. The publication portfolio includes six thematic editions covering topics such as women in media, municipal governance, entrepreneurship, legal protections, and higher education. The association also organizes press clubs, conferences, and digital literacy workshops to support women journalists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jafec Mag Jafec Mag is the association's flagship bilingual magazine publication dedicated to women journalists, gender equality, media excellence, and women's empowerment across Africa. It features thematic editions with investigative reports, profiles of women leaders, and stories on journalism practice. Six editions have been published between 2012 and 2018, available for free download.

Quantifiable outcome

• Since creation, JAFEC members have won three awards including two international prizes, demonstrating measurable impact on professional excellence

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Haut-Commissariat du Canada au CamerounminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 November 2024JAFEC conducted a courtesy visit to the Canadian High Commission in Cameroon in November 2024 to present the association's objectives and discuss potential collaboration opportunities for journalism projects and support.
• CIPESAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 March 2023CIPESA (Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa) partnered with JAFEC for the 2023 International Women's Day workshop on digital technology and ICT for women journalists. CIPESA representative Simone Toussi participated in the event to support women journalists' capacity building in digital skills.
• Defyhatenow/Civic WatchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 March 2023Defyhatenow/Civic Watch collaborated with JAFEC for the 2023 International Women's Day event, providing expertise on online hate speech and digital media literacy. Representative Donald Tchiengue spoke on women's role in peace-building through journalism.

Scale indicators3 records

Direct peers

• Global Press Journal: News organization training and employing local women journalists in underserved regions to produce professional journalism. Comparable as both prioritize local women journalists and emphasize training programs paired with publication outputs.
• African Women in Media (AWiM): Pan-African organization supporting women journalists across the continent through training, networking, and advocacy. Direct peer as both organizations serve women journalists in Africa with capacity-building programs and gender-focused media initiatives.
• National Union of Cameroon Journalists (SNJC): Cameroon's national professional union for journalists, advocating for press freedom and professional standards. Direct peer as both organizations serve journalists in Cameroon, though SNJC is broader and gender-neutral while JAFEC focuses specifically on women.

Broad incumbents

• Reporters Without Borders (RSF): International press freedom organization that has partnered with JAFEC and supports journalists across Africa. Comparable as a peer in the press freedom and journalist safety space, though operating at a global scale rather than a national women-focused association.
• WAN-IFRA Women in News: WAN-IFRA initiative supporting women in media leadership across Africa and Southeast Asia. Direct peer in the women in journalism space, with both organizations addressing gender equity in newsrooms across African markets.
• Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): International non-profit promoting press freedom and defending journalists' rights globally. Comparable through shared focus on journalist safety and press freedom advocacy, though operating at a much larger global scale with broader scope.
• International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF): Global non-profit supporting women journalists through training, grants, and safety initiatives. Comparable as a peer organization focused on advancing women in journalism, though it operates at a much larger international scale and offers formalized fellowship programs that JAFEC aspires to develop.

Regional players

• Women in Journalism (UK): UK-based network supporting women journalists through networking, advocacy, and safety initiatives. Comparable as a peer organization focused on women in journalism, though operating in a different geography with established Western media market context.

Emerging players

• Defyhatenow: Cameroon-based organization combating hate speech and promoting digital peace. Peer and partner organization that collaborated with JAFEC on digital literacy training, sharing focus on media integrity in the Cameroonian context.
• Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA): African digital rights and ICT policy organization that partnered with JAFEC for the 2023 International Women's Day workshop. Comparable as a peer and partner organization working at the intersection of media and digital rights in Africa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jafec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about JAFEC