BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has trained 25 Journalists on Gender-Responsive Reporting of Sexual Violence.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two-day workshop is targeted at traditional and new media organisations on Leadership and Gender-Responsive Reporting of Sexual Violence in Nigeria.
Ms Bunmi Dipo-Salami, Executive Director of the group, said that training journalists on gender-responsive reporting had become pertinent as against societal stigma.
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Dipo-Salami said that the training workshop was also part of activities to mark the 2022 International Women’s Day celebrations, with the theme: “Breaking the Bias”.
“The Nigerian society continues to be shaped by discriminatory stereotypes perpetuated, sometimes inadvertently by the media to maintain the status quo.
“This trend contributes significantly to re-victimisation of survivors rather than shaming perpetrators of sexual violence.
“In order to break the bias of gender inequality, the media has to lead in defending and protecting women and children.
“And as media practitioners, breaking the bias also includes breaking the barrier of re-victimisation of victims,” she said.
She said that the aim of the training was also for newsmen from the various organisations to step down the acquired knowledge and to bind the society together with its reportage.
She also noted that the media training would strengthen and increase the number of media organisations reporting on cases of sexual violence from a gender-aware perspective.
Ms. Osai Ojigho, Country Director of Amnesty International, in her opening address, urged journalists to understand the enabling laws which protect women and children.
“As journalists, you need to check your work to ensure that they do not reinforce stereotypes or justify violence against women and children,” she said.
Dr Kole Shettima, Director, Nigeria Office, MacArthur Foundation, spoke on the challenges of reporting sexual and gender-based violence.
“We all have our unconscious biases, but to be able to report gender-based violence, we have to learn and unlearn.
“The education system too has to prepare future journalists for the appropriate way of reporting gender-based violence,” he said.
Participants at the workshop lauded the initiative to train journalists on gender-responsive reporting, adding that the media had the greatest responsibility to give voice to victims of sexual and gender-based violence.
NAN also reports that the participants at the training represented both the traditional and new media journalists. (NAN)
