Journalists from across Africa have won various categories of the Labour Migration Reporting Awards.
The awards were hosted by African Women in Media (AWiM), in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC), International Labour Organization (ILO) and International Organization for Migration (IOM), under the Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP).
The winners and their categories are:
Migrants’ Rights – Charhreddine Berriah, Daily El Watan (Algeria)
Remittance and Diaspora Contributions to Development – Abdoulaye Balbone, Burkinabe Daily State Newspaper (Burkina Faso)
Governance of Labour Migration – Wagdy Sawahel, University World News (Africa Edition) (Egypt)
Gender-based Migration – Rekiatu Musa Jingi, Cameroon Radio Television (Cameroon)
Economic Impact of Migration – Abdul Aziz Hali, Mangeons Bien (Tunisia)
Migration and Health – Judy Kabeira, Capital FM (Kenya)
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Intra-African Migration – Afeez Hanafi, Punch Newspaper (Nigeria)
Fair recruitment, forced labour and human trafficking of migrant workers-Hoda Zakaria, Alyoum Elsabea Newspaper (Egypt)
Each winner got $500 each at a virtual ceremony held on International Migrants Day on Friday.
The winners according to a press statement by AWiM are expected to use the grant to contribute to the labour migration discourse through their reporting assignments next year.
They were selected from 70 competitive entries from Africa and the diaspora
Regional Migration Specialist for Africa at the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Dr Gloria Moreno Fontes explained that African media professionals were invited to participate in the awards because the media is key in influencing a positive perception of migrant workers.
She added that the media fosters dialogue, creates the human rights-based language, the confidence, and promotion of migrant workers’ integration and inclusion in societies in labour markets.
Responding to his Economic Impact of Migration category award, Abdel Aziz Hali thanked the organisers and noted that it is not easy to tackle how migrants in Tunisia are contributing to the economic growth in the country due to negative perceptions.
“ My story focused on the positive aspect of migration as it contributed to the economic development of the country”
Co-Founder and CEO, African Women in Media, Dr Yemisi Akinbobola congratulated the winners noting that Labour migration continues to be a major policy issue, which needs to remain on the media agenda.
She said the awards are for celebrating and honouring journalists who have shown their commitment to covering labour migration in Africa.
