…Trains Media Practitioners in Ekiti on AWPP
Precious Oham
A group, African Radio Drama Association, ARDA, has solicited the support of media practitioners in Ekiti State to advance Women Political Participation.
An Associate with ARDA and Media and Development Communications Professional, Adebisi Adetunji, stated this on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti at the one-day capacity building training for Media Professionals in Ekiti State on Women Political Participation in Nigeria, AWPP, Project.
She called on media practitioners to change the narrative through their reportage to address the barriers that restrict women from participating in politics and leadership positions.
Her words: “The objective of this media training is to equip media professionals with skills and informed knowledge about how we can through our mediums, traditional and social media, increase women’s participation in politics and governance.
“This media training was put together by the UN Women, the Canadian government and ARDA Development and Communication Incorporation.
“What we charged the media professionals to do is to change the narrative when talking about women in leadership. Whatever measure is been used to measure the male counterpart should also be used to measure the female in leadership position and in politics.
“We should focus on the issue, we should focus on her ability and capacity. What she can do should not be tied to her family name or who she is married to or the number of children that she has. If she’s got it, we should promote and drive the conversation around what she can do and what she brings to the table.
“So, one of the things that came out of the training is that we want to increase men support for women participation in leadership position, we want to increase the conversation around training, taking it from the grassroot upward. Equipping young women who are interested in leadership and governance.
“We want the media to talk about mentorship opportunities, we want the media to talk about how violence can eventually be taking off our politicking as a nation. We want the media to increase and generate conversations around women’s leadership.
“We should have women and men taking on the helms of leadership, working together to promote our democracy, to promote government and leadership that actually meet the need of the people and we need the two gender on the table.”