By Prince J Musa in Kenema
Journalists from the South and Eastern regions have on the 30th September 2021,undergone a two-day intensive capacity building training on Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) organized by Defense for Children International (DCI) in collaboration with its partners Equality Now and Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society (WAVES) at Gallines Paradise, in Bo
DCI’s Executive Director, Abdul Manaff Kemokai explained the reason for engaging media practitioners which was to build their capacity on issues relating to SGBV and to enable them accurately handle sensitive gender issues.
He said the training will enable the media to acknowledge the rights of girls and how they can relate them to national and international laws.
He maintained that the international instruments are being signed by countries in order to ensure the protection of girls and women against all forms of violence that have served as barriers to their education, social rights and economic wellbeing.
Kemokai said DCI and its partners will want the media to discuss championing the rights of marginalized and vulnerable women in the society, especially adolescent girls and for media personnel to share their experiences and best practices in highlighting human rights violations and to help identify opportunities for strategic partnership in mitigating gender related violence.
He said their mandates as an organization is to protect children’s rights and to help parents in ensuring that their kids grow up as good citizens.
Kemokai observed that women and girls are more abused and exploited putting them into long spells of trauma.
‘’We want to bring together our own skills in child protection and the skills of the media to form strategic partnership that will benefit each other and the society as a whole’’, he said.
He said DCI and partners will work with the children and the media to probe on every abuse of children and was hopeful that the training will broaden the mindset of the journalists on the legal frame work process and assist them how not to attach emotion to a story.
The Director WAVES, Hannah Yambasu said it’s necessary to work with the media since they have wider coverage in terms of information- sharing that will enhance the message of violence against women and girls.
She described the session as a wakeup call on the media to help especially issues of compromise within the family circle.
‘’There should be no mediation where a girl’s future is being destroy by the action of a sexual perpetrator”, she affirmed.
She further stated that some of those issues of violence on women have affected the educational standard of many women who have the potential to contribute to the development of their community and the nation in general.
She appealed to media practitioners to stand in solidarity with them in ensuring that women and girls are protected against sexual and gender based violence in the community.
Copyright © Politico Online 11/10/21
