By Mary Aperika
In Bolgatanga, journalists are being challenged to report on gender issues, with a focus on adopting gender-sensitive techniques to break stigmas, influence policies, and ensure vulnerable groups receive attention and support, as highlighted by the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Ghana. FAWE engaged with selected media personnel across the Upper East Region, urging them to spotlight initiatives that promote gender equality and challenge harmful practices. Speaking at the training, the senior field officer, Mr. Emmanuel Gazari stated that, “the training was very important to the journalists because anyone who wants to assist in the adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRHR), Gender Equality (GE) advocacy must have the right training and knowledge”.
“It is important that whoever is supposed to assist us promote this should be well trained, should understand the whole concept, and that is where we can really achieve. That is why this training for me is very, very, very important. And I expect that everyone takes up the lessons learned from here seriously. And let’s see how we can achieve the desired behavioral change.” Mr. Gazari explained.
In the past years, women were often marginalized with a stereotype that confined them to domestic roles suggesting that their responsibility is cooking and taking care of the home. This perspective does not reflect the diverse capabilities, talents and aspirations that women have. However, in recent time women break barriers into male dominated careers like politics, engineering, medical doctors and even the military environment.
“From experience with other things, few people actually want to talk about things that are more social. They will not venture into talking about these gender equality issues or these adolescence sexual issues.” A Communication for Development (C4D) consultant, David Kwesi Wi Ghartey-Tagoe stated.
The three days training reinforced the role of journalists as key stakeholders in shaping public perception and policy on reproductive health and rights initiatives. FAWE Ghana the Pan-African Non-Governmental Organization is hopeful that journalists would use their platforms to challenge harmful cultural practices that hinder gender equality.
