Stakeholders Call for Gender Balance in Global Schemes

Olufisoye Adenitan

The United Nations says the Female Gender is an indispensable factor in fostering development, peace and progress across nations of the world.

The UN Women Country’s Representatives to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, Ms Beatrice Eyong stated this in Lagos, at the maiden edition of the “ReportHer Award”, an initiative of the Women Radio 91.7 fm and the Wole Soyinka Centre For Investigative Journalism with support from UN Women and Government of Canada.

Ms Eyong, therefore, charged media Organizations to showcase women in their news as sources and content creators for adequate representation.

Declaring the event open, the Chairman of the MacAuthur Foundation, Abuja Office, Kole Shettima said, the objectives of the Award was in tandem with the focus of the Foundation for Equality and Social Inclusion

Also speaking, the Director General, Nigeria Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Mr Balarabe Shehu Ileila announced that, the Organization was working out modalities to establish a Broadcast Institute to help sharpen the reporting skills of Journalists focusing on gender related reportings.

Also speaking, the Executive Director, Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, Mrs. Motunrayo Alaka appealed to President Bola Tinubu to ensure 50 percent representation of Women in the Ministerial and Political appointments under his administration, charging Media Organizations to be more professional in reporting gender balanced stories for inclusive society.

Earlier, the CEO of Women Radio 91.7, Toun Okewale Sonaiya explained that the Award Ceremony was to encourage Media Organizations and Journalists to help champion the 50:50 Gender balanced Reporting.

Speaking on the criteria for the Award, The Team Leader of the Independent Judges, the Executive Director of the International Press Centre, Mr Lanre Arogundade said, the criteria were based on gender sensitive stories submitted as entries by Journalists from Media Organizations in each category.

Mr Arogundade said 106 entries were received where five Media Organizations in each categories emerged nominees and one media Organization emerged in the TV, Radio, Digital and Print Media and a journalist winner.

For the Radio category, Entries Submitted by Olufisoye Adenitan of FRCN Positive Fm 102.5, Akure earned FRCN as Nominee in the Radio category.