JHR ENDS A DAY COMMUNITY FORUM The Journalist for Human Rights (JHR) in collaboration with Initiative for Media Development has Monday November 25, 2013 ended one day Community Forum on Women’s Empowerment through Gender Sensitive Media at the J&E conference Hall Bo in the Southern Republic of Sierra Leone. In her opening remarks the chairperson of the forum who also doubles as the Gender Desk Officer of the Ministry of social Welfare Gender and Children Affair Madam Alice Jeneba Koroma said that they are aware of the fat that media is a tool for development adding that the purpose of this forum is to empower women through media, it has been worldwide observe that women are few in the media and call on Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) to encourage more women to come on so that women could be taking on their behalf. She reiterated that at the end of the program more women will come on board to participant in the media, and that the media makes and break and that have strong believe that women will be promoted to seen as partners in development and that this is expected to bring change in the media and this day 25th December marks the 16 day activism and is significant for this training. Delivery her statement the country director for Journalists for Human Rights Yeama Thompson said that many Sierra Leonean remember the selfless sacrifices made by women during and after the brutal civil conflict in Sierra Leone. She said even though sierra Leone can now boast of a near peaceful situation and some inroads on gender and social justice issues, more needs to be done in order to secure the future of women and girls and media engagement is a great place to start. She said the government’s ability to safeguard its citizens’ cannot be achieved without a well-functioning and independent media sector. Never is a strong media more crucial than during a period of accelerated economic growth driven by international investment in resource exploitation and extraction in a country with weak public institution and that it is only through strengthening the media to take its rightful role as facilitator and referee of an informed public conversation between state and society that truly participatory governance of the country’s wealth can be ensured, and a truly equitable outcome for such resource development facilitated. Yeama said as a time when there is encouragement to discuss a changing role for women in the Sierra Leone society, the nation’s media is an unique position to advance those discussions by serving to illuminate our people on the challenges they face in keeping pace with the rest of the world, some reporters, editors, and station managers may view it as an opportunity, but perhaps it should be viewed as an obligation if we truly want to move Sierra Leone forward. She said many challenges stand in the way of the empowerment of women in Sierra Leone, and the media ought to adopt a strategy to raise the level of awareness and develop the potential of women so that they can better serve their country. She added that journalists for human rights is extremely grateful to the British High Commission andthe United State Embassy for supporting this project with their support they were able to bring together 45 journalists with a representative of all the region in Sierra Leone, 15 representative from civil society, nongovernmental organization. Yeama said through women empowerment through strengthened media project they are currently implementing the following with support from the British High Commission, th US Embassy and the donner and Swift sure foundation like practical training and direct mentorship of women journalists on coverage of gender based violence and other gender related issues, field reporting trips addressing GBV issues, community forum bringing together with other stakeholder and the media to discuss gender and social justice issues, gender sensitivity training in newsroom and will be launching soon an online platform on gender training for Sierra Leone journalists. In his statement the Hon. Minister of Gender and children Affair Alhaji Moijuel Kaikai said that many media owners in Sierra Leone are not paying their reporters which is more of the reason why yellow journalism is practice in Sierra Leone and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) to held a meeting with media owners where he will be there in attendance to deliberate on the issues of their workers’ wages so as to stop the yellow journalism. Delivery her key note address the national Coordinator of FAWE Sierra Leone Mrs. Eileen Hanciles said in 1976 the UN general assembly declare beginning of the year of gender and in sierra Leone women account about 52% of our population but still lacks the confidence to come out with strong advocacy on behalf of their colleague voice less women. “About 80% of sierra Leonean women engaged in petty trading and agriculture which they believe it the only source of income for women”.She said one of the factors responsible for backwardness of women is lack of early education, noting in those days, women were not allow to go to school as they were perceived as carer of home. She further stated that until we understand the meaning of GENDER, we will continue discriminating against women. Shecalls on women in the media to take the lead in the promotion of women’s issues and advocate for more inclusion of women in the media land scape. She acknowledge the importance of media in the dissemination of important information “A gender sensitive media can change the life of women bring development in any country” noting always be yourself and fight for others.
Posted on: Tue, 26 Nov 2013 12:15:51 +0000
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