Culture | Intellectual Property Rights | International Law
Welcome,
With an interdisciplinary background that spans from culture to intellectual property law and human rights, Sofia Jernroth has always focused on Africa. Jernroth is working towards a PhD degree in Intellectual Property Rights within Sub-Saharan Africa. She holds a Master's degree in International Law and Human Rights, and a Bachelor's degree in Media Culture, and has worked in political communication for the last eight years. Jernroth is from Finland and is currently residing in Oslo, Norway. Her upbringing in Kenya has endowed her with a unique perspective and a deep understanding of diverse cultural contexts.
The Eternal Struggle Over the Land of the Maasai
The article and photo series, "The Eternal Struggle Over the Land of the Maasai," initially featured in Hufvudstadsbladet, delves into the nuanced existence of a segment of the Maasai community in Kenya amidst an era of intergenerational shift. This period is marked by the collision and fusion of age-old traditions and contemporary values. The Maasai, distinguished by their unique appearance, find themselves at the crossroads of exploitation and commercialization, often without fair economic recompense. A staggering 80% of the Maasai population in Kenya and Tanzania subsist below the poverty threshold, grappling with issues such as land and resource insecurity, limited access to healthcare and education, scant political representation, and systemic discrimination and exclusion.
The Maasai project
Sofia Jernroth’s photograph of Margret Koitangkei Nkalo was honored as the recipient of the winning Finland National Award at the 2020 Sony World Photography Awards. in London.
Jernroth’s master's thesis, “Balancing Indigenous Rights and Commercial Interests : A Comparative Analysis of Intellectual Property Law and Human Rights Law in Protecting Traditional Cultural Expressions of the Maasai People” in International Law and Human Rights focused on examining the intersection between intellectual property law and human rights law, specifically addressing the challenges in protecting the traditional knowledge of indigenous Maasai people in Africa.
The Glue Boys: A childhood on the streets of Kenya
The article and photo series, "Glue Boys: A Childhood on the Streets of Kenya" was initially featured in Hufvudstadsbladet in Swedish.
Killed by the police, forgotten by the people and ignored in social debates. The use of psychoactive substances among street children for survival has been a prevalent problem in most urban centres in Kenya. Street children constitute a marginalized population in most urban centres of the world. In Kenya, there are 250,000 - 300,000 children living and working on the streets. There photo series “Glue Boys” is a documentary series following street children of Kitale town in Kenya for a year. The street children in Kenya are one of the most hated groups of people in the country.
Graphic Design § Illustrations
Campaigns & Politics
SFP - RKP
Campaign for SFP/RKP ahead of the European Elections 2023.
Campaign for MEP Anna-Maja Henriksson ahead of the European Elections 2023.
Photgraphy assignments for SFP/RKP MPs. Anders Adlercreutz, Veronica Rehn-Kivi, Eva Biaudet and Anna-Maja Henriksson.
Campaign for Parliment Elections candidate Simon Granroth (2022).
Editorial & Projects
Vid Viktoriasjöns strand är kvinnan värd en dagsfångst fisk
Phylisters Adhiambo Omolos historia börjar här, i fiskestaden Sindo som ligger vid Viktoriasjöns strand. Här är fisken guldet och männen dess förvaltare. Människor från Kenya, Uganda och Tanzania tävlar i kapplöpningen om den sinande tillgången på tilapia- och omenafisk. Samtidigt ökar hiv- och aids-infektionerna på stränderna snabbare än någon annanstans i Kenya. Här säljer kvinnor sin kropp för en dagsfångst fisk.