NGO Trains Journalists On Gender, PWDs Inclusion Reporting
Princess-Ekwi Ajide Abuja
A Non-Governmental Organisation, Gender Strategy Advancement International, GSAI, has asked journalists to be intentional in their reportage of issues relating to inclusivity especially as it regards to women, and persons with disabilities so as to give them voice.
The event, organised by Gender Accountability and Inclusivity in Nigeria, GAIN, in conjunction with GSAI and Open Society Initiative for West Africa, OSIWA, trained 40 reporters and editors from across the country from various media platforms including TV, radio, print, and online on Inclusive Investigation Training on Accountability in Governance in Abuja,
The group, charged journalists to hold government and other stakeholders accountable on issues of gender inclusivity especially for Persons With Disabilities.
The Executive Director, GSAI, Adaora Sydney-Jack, who gave the charge at the one-day training, harped on the importance of promoting equal rights and inclusivity to change the narrative through story telling so as to cultivate a culture that will create opportunity for all to thrive.
According to her, GSAI, has been in the forefront of advocating for increased participation of women in governance, enabling gender-friendly policies, and amplifying women’s voices in the civic space.
She said, GSAI’s mission is centred on five pillars; gender advocacy, accountability, gender justice, gender-driven research, and partnership, which is aimed at positioning women’s rights as a national priority through the media, which she described as a powerful tool.
Adaora Sydney-Jack, explained that the essence of the training was to encourage and support story ideas and reports that will bring to the fore, the lapses in the performance of public or political office holders counting the objectives of the training to include increasing reportage and editorials on the performance and shortcomings of the government from a gender accountability perspective, empowering media professionals to independently promote and advance women’s rights, bring government and its officials to account.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, FCT Council, Osaretin Osadebamwen, in his address, reechoed the need for the media to work towards sensitising the government and the citizenry on issues concerning women and PWDs.
The NUJ Chairman, who was represented by his deputy, Timothy Choji, noted that it behoves journalists to highlight issues bordering on women and gender inclusivity irrespective of public perspective.
He charged journalists to take advantage of the training which he said were skewed to open their eyes and minds to storytelling so as to see the lapses in genuinely designed policies and programmes of government national or subnational that may need to be rejigged for the good of the masses.
Dr Inya Ode, on her part, wants the media to adhere to the ethics of the profession especially when reporting gender-related matters.
Dr. Ode, who is a Gender Advocate, called on journalists to utilise their platforms in sensiting the populace on eliminating stereotypes against women and PWDs reminding them that their stories must engender positive changes in society and as gatekeepers in the field, must readily inform and cause positive transformation.
