By: Joyce Kantam Kolamong
Female journalists have been urged to integrate a gender lens into their reporting on peace and conflict issues, and raise awareness of the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
Team Leader for NORPREVSEC, Rev. Fr. Clement Aapengnuo, speaking to Female Journalists at a workshop in Tamale, said this will contribute to shifting the perception of women as passive victims to recognizing women as agents of peace.
He said in this era of violent extremism, it is important that journalists are able to educate and inform the public particularly women on dangers of conflict and violent extremism.
The workshop was attended by 15 selected female journalists from the five regions of the North.
As part of efforts to empower women journalists and media practitioners in Northern Ghana on their roles in peacebuilding, preventing and containing violent extremism, the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs with Meridian International Centre as the implementing partner under its IVLP Impact Awards is supporting a six month project in northern Ghana.
The project titled, “Empowering Women in Media for Peace Stability in Ghana,” aims to equip women journalists and media practitioners with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively report on issues relating to violent extremism, promote peace building, and counter violent extremism narratives in Northern Ghana.
Journalists were taken through Introduction to Conflict-Sensitive Reporting and its Importance in Preventing and Containing the Threat of Violent Extremism, Role of Women in Media in Promoting Peace and Stability and Understanding Gender-Sensitive Reporting and its Relevance in Media.
Team Leader for Preventing Electoral Violence and Strengthening Security in Ghana, NORPREVSEC, Rev. Fr. Clement Aapengnuo, commended the organizers of the programme and said it will contribute to a more active involvement and participation of female journalists in the conflicts and peace consolidation.
He acknowledged the challenges women in media go through and encouraged them to be agents of change.
“If you look at the UN Resolution 13:25, it talks about the role of women in peace building. You won’t find any peace talks in Ghana here where women play a central role and yet when you look at conflict, it is either women who are behind the conflict or women are the ones who broke the camel’s back and peace started prevailing. So women journalists have a special role to play in terms of life and life-giving, in terms of compassion, in terms of arguing or making presentations to people that they should be cool heads.”
While urging on-air presenters to engage with experts who have deep knowledge about issues, Rev. Fr. Aapengnuo also advised them to be on top of issues to be able to inform and educate well.
“And especially the radio journalists, I always entreat when you open your mic, you have a responsibility to the people, your role is not to take decision, not to take sides or demonstrate how intelligent and capable you are, your role is to bring in experts who will through light on the issue for the people to make their decisions”.
Project Lead for the IVLP Impact Award Project, Ms Diana Ngon, who is also the Northern Regional correspondent for Citinews, said the project recognizes the crucial role that women play in the media landscape, and particularly, their ability to bring a feminine perspective to issues pertaining to peace, conflict, and security.
She believes that by empowering women in media, it will pave the way for meaningful dialogue, constructive reporting, and the promotion of peacebuilding initiatives.
Seasoned facilitators including the Director of Public Affairs, UDS Tamale, Abdul Hayi Moomen, advised participants to contextualize their reportage to benefit society.
