Worried by the spate of gender based violence in Nigeria, a non governmental organisation; Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre CIRDDOC has urged Journalists to join the vanguard in the prevention of gender based violence and giving prominence to issues about Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHRs) in the country.
The Coordinator of the Organisation Pascal Anozie made the call at the Kosam Hotels Uyo during a one day capacity training programme organized for journalists in partnership with the Coalition of Eastern NGOs(CENGOs) and Amplify Change, an international development partner..
Anozie expressed dismay over many reported cases of gender based violence recently with spouses attacking and killing their partners in many parts of the country saying that this was not restricted to any particular sex, males and females have all been victims of gender based violence.
.
According to him, reporting on such issues will help survivors and others with necessary information to protect themselves, others or seek help and justice.
“In recognition of the role of the media in shaping the society, journalists should cover issues of gender based violence in a way that does not perpetuate gender stereotypes but inform and encourage public debate.
“You can do this through features, analysis pieces and blogs that can provide greater analysis and understanding of the psychologies of gender-based violence in a way that will improve readers’ understanding of both the actions and reactions of the survivor and the perpetrator,’’ he said.
In his remarks, Israel Ekanem, coordinator of CENGOS in Akwa Ibom State said the journalists were carefully selected from the electronic, print and online platforms to bring their reportorial skills to the issues of gender based violence adding similar training has been organised for civil society based organisations as well as health workers in the state.
Ekanem said accurate reporting on gender based violence and consistently bringing it to the front burner of public discourse would enable policymakers to legislate against it while ensuring that they are equipped with the necessary skills to report on sexual and reproductive health rights in the country.
There were presentations on case-studies of gender based violence such as rape, battery, female genital mutilation, sexual abuse of female children and other harmful acts on women, sexual and reproductive rights of individuals.
In a paper by Dr. Ngozi Emelogu, a development expert, she identified low income and education at the individual level as well as weak community sanctions and poverty as major factors that cause gender based violence while women were more likely to be victims.
She listed the consequences of gender based violence to include low self esteem and depression at the non fatal level while suicides and homicides are the consequences at the fatal outcomes.
According to her, the violation of sexual and reproductive health rights is the violation of human rights adding that human rights are about empowerment and an entitlement of people with respect to certain aspects of their lives including sexual and reproductive rights. She maintained that if these concepts are done under coercion and discrimination, it becomes the violation of human rights.
Taking up the lecture on roles of media professionals and good reporting techniques, Mr Wenigha Jackson advised Journalists to join in making known the dangers of gender based violence and other sexual and health rights as it affects the populace.
He further enjoined them to be creative in their reportage in other to maintain their audience and also follow up events to their logical conclusion.
