...As NAWOJ Harps On Important of Training Journalist
Khadijat Yusuf
Abuja
Vice president Zone D, NAWOJ, Mrs Chizoba Ogbeche says NAWOJ is now working in many thematic areas, including gender-based violence, politics, women’s empowerment, skills training, and more.
The Vice President Zone D relates that Gender Strategy advancement international (GSAI) mission and aim is similar to what NAWOJ is doing.
" Our job is not only to disseminate information but also to hold people in office accountable, which we do and will continue to do."
"I want to commend the Gender Advancement Strategy Initiative (GSAi) for the work that they've been doing, but I would also like to say that the Nigeria Association for Women Journalists (NAWOJ) is an umbrella body for female journalists in Nigeria."
Mrs Ogbeche who noted that NAWOJ was formed over 33 years ago to give women journalists a voice when they were very few in the newsroom as well as to improve the lives of female journalists amd other women in the society.
"As time went on, we observed that women improved significantly, but we have people outside journalism who are not practicing and still need our assistance. So, we have to go beyond just the media. NAWOJ is now working in many thematic areas, including gender-based violence, politics, women’s empowerment, skills training, and more. What GSAi does is also similar to what NAWOJ is doing. Our job is not only to disseminate information but also to hold people in office accountable, which we do and will continue to do.
We have a lot in common and many areas where we can work together, like you said. Even the recent circle of storytelling exhibition, where one of our own proudly emerged as one of the winners, shows our potential. I was involved from the training period to the assessment, and I’m impressed with what our women reported."
"You mentioned that 60 journalists have been trained. We know there are many more to be trained beyond Abuja. This courtesy call is the beginning of that extension because, in the North Central region, we have six states including the FCT. The expectation is that the next round of this training will involve women outside the FCT. We have nearby states like Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue, and Kogi, and while Kwara is a little bit farther, we can always find a way to bridge the gap. We can even do online training sometimes that's the beauty of technology. We do not need to be physical for training; women can be trained remotely," she said.
The NAWOJ VP also added that there is need for the association to collaborate in achieving the aim and mission which makes both body similar. She assured that the 60 journalists already trained by GSAI will stay in touch and ensure they pass the training to others who haven't gotten the opportunity to attend.
"We should also sit down and streamline our efforts and have an MoU in areas where we can work together, so that we know this is the working document. Let us know what the Association is bringing to the table, and also what your organization is bringing. But I must commend Adora on YouTube for what she’s doing. A journey of 8,000 miles begins with a step. we knew when she started, and gradually she’s growing. She’s also an inspiration to other women journalists, showing them that beyond just filing reports for the day and going home, you can do more. There are opportunities to do more."
"We know that the 60 journalists you trained will stay in touch with you, and you will continue mentoring them, with the hope that they will, in turn, mentor others. During my campaign, mentorship was one of my core pillars because I believe in grooming people. As I always say, if I’m in civil service, in the next 10 years I should be retiring. So what will I see? Who am I bringing on board to take over from us? By the time you’re leaving or stepping aside, the people you mentored should be mentoring others. It’s a cycle that we need to maintain."
'This visit is very timely, and we are ready to partner. Our strength and resources combined can take us places," she concluded.
On her part, the Communication officer GSAi, Grace Udie while appreciating the NAWOJ VP Zone D, Mrs Chizoba Ogbeche for receiving her and her delegation said data from Gender Strategy advancement international shows that women are under represented hence the need for leaders who would understand the plight of women especially from the grassroots perspective.
"We did this research to ensure that more women and the underrepresented are included in the political space. When women are underrepresented in the political space, they do not have the ability to speak. When you have someone in leadership who understands what you face as a woman, especially a woman from a grassroots community affected by societal and cultural norms, you realize how important it is for that woman to be represented by another who has gone through the same challenges in the political space."
"Why are we seeing limited numbers? It’s because there is a lot of patriarchy in society. We have many men in those seats, making it difficult for women. Yes, some women are there, but are they allowed to participate in the decision-making processes that affect other women? Sometimes they are subdued because they are outnumbered."
"As an organization, we saw the need to research this and come up with outcomes to understand the reasons affecting women's participation in the political space—and not just the political space. For us, the political space is widely reached. Why do I say this? I think that if we’re able to cover the political space for women across the Federation and the FCT, we can change the narrative for women. We also want to put women in leadership spaces, give more voices to women, and change the narrative surrounding the issues faced by women, girls, and persons with disabilities, especially at the community level."
"Over time, working with the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), we have also seen our organization engage with the media. We believe that the media is very strong in pushing this narrative, and we see significant change because stories about women's issues are being reported effectively. Even the tone of the reports reflects emotion because of journalists like you in NAWOJ who put passion into reporting these issues," she said.
Ms Udie also revealed that data from GSAI shows that gender based violence has increased over time hence the need for the conversation to continue to proper tackled them when reported. She said collaboration between GSAI and NAWOJ is an avenue to change the narrative especially from the grassroots.
"In recent times, we have seen a rise in cases of gender-based violence. We are reporting them, but are there policies that are changing? That’s where we need to keep having this conversation. We also believe in the power of partnership and collaboration, which is why we’ve come to this course. Now we can align to change the narratives, especially from the grassroots, which is critical."
"In the gender agenda training we did, we trained 60 reporters on gender accountability and inclusive reporting. The reason for this is to hold relevant institutions accountable for the shortcomings on gender-based issues. If institutions are not held accountable, most of the budgeting meant for communities and women’s needs can be sidelined to other projects. With the media and civil society watching, and women watching, society can ensure that these projects are channeled toward what they’re meant for. At the very least, we should see efforts from stakeholders."
"We believe that if we see change in the FCT, it will spiral into other states across the country," she said .
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