By Oumie Bojang
The President of Women Journalists Association has challenged women journalists to intensify reporting on issues affecting women and children in the society.
Annette Camara made this call at a two-day training on women and children reporting held at the Tango office Wednesday.
“This training is fundamental considering the fact that the majority of reporters or journalists do not focus on women and children reporting.
Sadly, the amount of violence against women and children is on the increase on a daily basis which most of it are not reported either in the media or to the relevant authorities. We want to challenge and encourage all women journalists to consider and divert energy on women and children reporting too, because no one can report it better than we women who bear the brunt,” Camara emphasized.
She reported that women working in the media worldwide face different cases of violence, but hardly do they report on such stories.
“Therefore, the main purpose of this training is to produce highly skilled women journalists who will contribute to effective and efficient reporting on women and children in The Gambia.”
GPU vice president Isatou Keita, posited that women and children form a significant chunk of the population and despite their vulnerabilities most of the reports that are made about them are based on victimization, gender-based violence and stigmatization.
“We tend to shy away from issues that could promote how much effort a woman selling groundnut or fish is putting in to contribute to the development of the society. We are not here to sit back and be clapping for politicians. We want to be in the front and take part in the decision making and the development of the country” VP Keita added.
GPU program manager Jabel Ceesay, said the program is sponsored by Civil Society in Development (CISU) with the GPU to build the capacity and sensitize the Union’s affiliates.
Fallou Sowe Executive Director Network Against Gender Based-Violence said the nation’s development can be analyzed through the children and women empowerment.
“The importance of women and children reporting cannot be over emphasized; you need to unveil issues women and children are going through.
