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By Henry Uche
It was a night of glamour and celebration of individual journalists and various media organisations in Lagos last weekend when dignitaries and media professionals gathered for the maiden edition of ReportHer Awards.
As a way of rewarding journalists and media organizations that took up the challenge to ensure gender-sensitive reporting and inclusion, Women Radio (91.7 FM), in partnership with Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), with support from Canadian Government and UN Women, have honoured some journalists and media organizations with various awards.
The convener and managing director of Women Radio, Toun Okewale-Sonaiya, who applauded journalists and media organizations that have been projecting women frequently and giving them prime space in their various platforms, said: “We are deliberate in what we are doing and we are not going back. Women must be given due recognition.”
Not satisfied with the status quo, the Women Radio, in collaboration with its partners, has in the past embarked on a series of training for newsmen in gender and inclusive reporting aimed at giving women a voice.
During such training sessions, Sonaiya challenged journalists and media organizations to step up and give women due place in their platforms.
The groups believe that without giving women adequate coverage, it would be very difficult to achieve Sustainable Development Goals Numbers One (No Poverty), Goal Five (Gender Equality) and Goal 10 (Reduced Inequality), as issues relating to women have not been brought to the limelight over the years, hence the need for 50:50 gender-balanced reportage.
Speaking also, director-general of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Balarabe Shehu Ilelah, charged other media organizations and journalists to follow suit. He urged them to put a stop to violence against women, domestic abuse, rape, girl and child molestation and other forms of ill treatments against women through their gender sensitive reportage.
“Section 310 of the Broadcasting Code is in support of gender balance reporting. We are ready to partner with any media organization that abides by the broadcast code. As a conduit of news, opinion and information, you are expected to give out a balanced and inclusive reportage. We are about to establish a broadcast institute in Abuja to address unethical and unprofessional conducts in the media space through training,” he assured.
Similarly, the CEO of WSCIJ, Motunrayo Alaka, admonished the media to lead the way towards women emancipation. Alaka reaffirmed that Report Until Something Happens (RUSH), her brainchild would keep the pace in ensuring that women are not relegated in any guise.
She added that Nigerians and the world at large is waiting to see how gender-sensitive the government of President Bola Tinubu would be. This she maintained would be made manifest in his ministerial appointments and appointments of heads of MDAs.
In the television category, Arise News won while AIT was the runner-up. In the radio category, Voice of Nigeria emerged the winner, while Sparkling (92.3 FM) was the runner-up. In the print category, Blueprint newspaper won, while Leadership was the runner-up. DigitalTechcabal and Ripples Nigeria emerged winner and runner-up, respectively, in the digital media category.
Recall that women in Nigeria have been pushing for due recognition and inclusion in the scheme of things particularly in the socio-economic and political space.
With the theme of the 2023 International Women’s Day, “Embrace Equity,” many are calling for more women representation in the parliament and other appointments in public service.
In line with the United Nations declaration of 35 per cent Affirmative Action, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the media and other concerned Nigerians have been drawing attention to the need to give women deserved prominence.
