Stakeholders Seek Stronger Measures Against Violence Targeting Female Journalists in Africa
Stakeholders have called for stronger interventions to address the rising cases of harassment, violence, and impunity against female journalists across Africa.
The call was made at the end of a three-day training on Monitoring and Reporting on the Safety of Journalists in Africa, held in Entebbe, Uganda.
Organised by the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) with support from UNESCO, the workshop brought together journalists, law enforcement officers, and legal practitioners to examine safety challenges facing women in the media.
UNESCO’s Communication and Information Advisor for Africa, Misako Ito, said the safety of journalists and combating impunity remain central to protecting press freedom and freedom of expression.
She noted that recent data shows that about 73 percent of female journalists have been targets of attacks and face disproportionate safety risks.
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Chairperson of IAWRT Kenya, Josephine Karani, stressed that threats against journalists should concern all stakeholders, calling for coordinated efforts at both local and continental levels.
She highlighted IAWRT Kenya’s initiative in developing an online platform that maps threats and violence against female journalists across Africa as part of efforts to create safer working environments.
In a presentation, the FCT Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Olusola Odumosu, urged security agencies across Africa to adopt more responsive measures to protect women journalists.
He said the NSCDC, in collaboration with other security agencies in Nigeria, has set up gender desks and trained personnel on gender-based violence response in a bid to curb attacks on citizens, including journalists.
The three-day workshop emphasised the need for sustained collaboration among media professionals, civil society and security institutions to safeguard the rights and safety of female journalists across the continent.
Report By: Dr Abimbola Oyetunde
