Journalists urged to be gender sensitive in reportage

The Women’s Initiative for Self-Empowerment (WISE), a non-profit organization, has entreated journalists to be gender sensitive in their reportage on Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) issues.

SGBV is a violent act mainly committed against women or girls and such violence is often considered a form of hate crime committed against women or girls specifically because they are females and that can take many forms.

Madam Adwoa Bame, Executive Director of WISE urged the media to give out information that will not retraumatize the victims or survivors of SGBV.

“When it comes to SGBV cases, there is lack of gender responsiveness in their reportage, however, addressing this, will create a conducive environment for the empowerment and rehabilitation of the survivors”, she added.

Madam Bame was speaking on the sidelines of an evaluation programme organised for journalists on SGBV.

The media engagement focused on gender responsiveness in reportage, with highlights on WISE’s initiatives; information shared in the past, how the media houses were using such information, and the way forward on SGBV reporting.

Madam Bame observed there had been improvement in reportage, particularly media houses that reports in local dialects, however, there is a more room for improvement.

She mentioned that as part of the evaluation exercise WISE has adopted some strategies in addressing the challenge, which includes, engagement with members of the newsroom of the various media houses.

The Executive Director also underscored the need to engage the National Media Commission (NMC) to have a gender policy for all media houses.

“There is so much the media does that individuals cannot do, so if we are looking at eradicating violence against women and children, then we are actually targeting the media, once they are sensitized on issues, they are able to send the message out”.

Madam Bame reiterated that “let’s take the drama out of the cases we report, so the victims or survivors listening to their own stories won’t feel they are being mocked”.