Synopsis of the Two-day Training organised by the Step-Up For Women In Journalism Initiative (SWIJ) In Port Harcourt, Rivers State between the 19-20th October, 2023.
The programme tagged “Improving Capacity of Women to Become Expert Sources for News”, was Supported by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), under its Report Women Programme being funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Day one of the Programme was a virtual training moderated by the News Manager, Cool FM/Wazobia Info, Port Harcourt, Chioma Ezenwafor and had over 50 participants.
Four key speakers spoke on topics that challenged female journalists to be more committed and intentional from being the reporter to the reported – news source. They also provided insights on how female journalists can get to the top of their careers.
Taking the lead, former Commissioner for Information in Rivers State, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, while speaking on the topic: “Becoming an Expert Source for News; How to improve visibility and impact on Gender Based Issues’ highlighted gender imbalance as one of the key impediments to women as news sources. She emphasized that female journalists must be intentional in using women as news sources.
She also underscored the need for female journalists to key into the changing trend in journalism by promoting their work on social media.
Semenitari, a former Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), added that female journalists must be innovative, honest and accessible, to make a mark in their career and become news sources.
In her Address, Executive Director of SWIJ, Ann Godwin, said the gap between the male and female gender had remained glaring, noting that there are lots of issues affecting women, ranging from poor health facilities to educational systems which the government has neglected.
While speaking on ‘ Gender Mainstreaming, Why Step-Up Conversation’ she lamented the inadequate women’s participation in the Nigerian political sphere, especially at the national assembly that has hampered the passage of the Gender Equality Bill.
Godwin, who is an award-winning investigative Journalist and the Chief Correspondent of the Guardian newspaper in Rivers State, called on female journalists to keep pushing themselves and be active and vibrant, saying, “In this era, there is no waiting season, keep pushing yourself through”
She said the birthing of SWIJ was propelled by the need for female journalists in Rivers State to be more vibrant and able to measure up with their counterparts across Nigeria and beyond. She added that the best way to go ahead is to get started.
The Executive Director, Media Career Development Network, Lekan Otufodunrin, while speaking on the topic: “How Journalists can enhance their Career and Professional Opportunities”, said most journalists are not able to differentiate between their job and career.
Otufodunrin, who is also a mentor to Godwin, posited that journalists must have career goals to make an impact, adding that growing from a reporter to taking up big assignments that lead to fellowships and awards must be intentional.
He suggested some steps to be taken by journalists who want to make a mark including; setting career goals, acquiring skills in Artificial intelligence (AI) and social media, relevant training and utilization of knowledge acquired through training.
Furthermore, Economic and Business Analyst, Ignatius Chukwu, spoke on the main theme of the programme, “Improving Capacity of Women to Become Expert Sources for News”. He said journalism is moving to the female but that most female journalists are not prepared to take the lead.
Chukwu, who also publishes Silvernews, said women despite knowing more than their male counterparts most times don’t want to speak because of perceived mischief.
He highlighted building trust as key to having female news sources and recommended pre-interview sessions for female sources as one of the keys to building trust.
He also emphasised the need to accommodate what he described as the unofficial voices while engaging women. He added that women are more sincere and passionate in their responses than the male folk.
The Day two programme was held at the Quantum Business School, Sani Abacha Road.
It had a University Don, Professor Godwin Okon as a Keynote Speaker who spoke on the topic; “Facilitating the Implementation of Gender Policies within the Newsroom and Organisations.”
Presenting the paper, Okon said despite Nigeria being a signatory to gender equality UN proclamations, women’s participation in political and decision-making bodies has remained a far cry.
He called on the federal government to shift from formulating to implementing policies that promote gender equality, especially the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 5), which provides for 40 per cent participation of women in decision-making.
He, also lamented that despite women making giant marks in the media and corporate world, the mass media has failed to celebrate such icons, thus allowing continued male domination and focusing more on politics.
Okon, the Director of Research and Development, and lecturer at the Department of Mass Communication, Rivers State University, also highlighted stereotype as one of the greatest propellers of gender inequality.
In proffering solutions, the University Don called on the need for women especially those in the media to hold the government accountable in the implementation of gender equality policies. He also called on the coalition of female professionals to make themselves seen and visible, cascade the mantra of the breed without greed by celebrating female icons, and also mainstream and take bold steps to make a difference.
The President/Founder, Advancing Women in Business, Port Harcourt, Josephine Itonyo, in her presentation, harped on the need for women to deliberately build capacity to make impacts in society.
Itonyo warned that if female journalists fail to equip themselves with modern journalism practice as dictated by modern technology, they will become obsolete with time.
Earlier, Broadcast Journalist and Entrepreneur, Dr Ijeoma Tubosia, challenged female journalists on the need for self-development.
Tubosia, who spoke on the topic, “Growing Personal Capacity in the Current Economic Realities in Nigeria”, harped on the need for women to properly position themselves for recommendation through educative programmes. She said women must be conscious of self-development and have retirement plans to avoid unnecessary domestic violence and challenges that come with old age.
By doing this, Tubosia recommended that female journalists should strive for multiple sources of income to live up to the present economic realities.
She mentioned some secrets to multiple sources of income as; making up your mind, deciding on the business to do, research, creating a nitch for yourself, getting a mentor, steadfastness and the God factor, amongst others.
She thanked Godwin for her dedication to pushing female journalists towards self-actualization in Rivers State.
Highpoint of the programme was training on how to write a captivating bio, by the host, Ann Godwin.
Participants described the training as appropriate and inspiring, noting that the sessions impacted greatly in them.
Feedbacks from some Port-Harcourt based radio station indicate that two days after the training, women started indicating interest to air their views on some national and state issues.
Specifically, Mrs Uche Ken-Ndukwua , a Chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, led the news bulletin of Nigeria Info, 92.3fm on Monday morning of October 23,2023 based on her reaction on a Commissioner nominee’s in the State and she sought for more space for women.
A Female medical practitioner, Dr. Ose Okoye, said, “I learnt a lot at the virtual training organised by the Step-Up for Women In Journalism Initiative and supported by WSCIJ on ‘improving the Capacity Of Women to become expert sources for news’ I am more equipped now and well inspired to speak up”
An editor with the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) Precious Akutamadu, said, the virtual and physical training by SWIJ was impactful and relevant to MEDIA career growth. She thanked to the organisers and sponsors of the training and hope more of such training would be held.