Journalists brainstorm on gender issues, urged to shape society on related cases

Journalists have been urged to shift their focus to issues aimed at changing the negative narratives on gender-related issues, to foster societal progress and impact positively on the lifestyles of families and individuals.The call to the media as watchdogs reveals that gender-sensitive reporting is essential for a balanced representation of society, which also serves as an integral part of freedom of expression.Ms Melody Darkey, the National Programmes Coordinator of Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), made the call at a four-day training session for about 50 participants involving Senior Editors, Editors, Chief Reporters, and Stringers from the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Sogakope in the Volta Region.She exposed participants to some key objectives in acquiring knowledge on gender, which included conceptualising gender and its related concepts, by understanding the differences between gender and sex and how gender influenced relationships with others.The focus was also on discussing the nexus between gender and health, gender-sensitive reporting, understanding the concept of gender equality and it's framing within the Ghanaian context.Ms Darkey said having conversations on gender had remained a tough subject to tackle, as it often triggered a lot of emotions, because it challenged existing knowledge about life and one's existence.However, 'we need to talk about it here because it undergirds our very foundation and the fabric of society and how we relate with others. It is an important planning variable,' she said.She added that although there was sufficient clarity on what gender-based discrimination and gender identity were, there was still inadequate demonstration of knowledge about basic concepts like definitions, differences, and the relationship between sex and gender, as well as gender-based issues including gender influences and influencers.Mrs Beatrice Asamani Savage, the Director of Editorial at GNA, urged journalists to resort to what she called the 'Progressive Society' po int of view, rather than looking for who was at fault.The training programme, being the second out of four phases to be rolled out by GNA, had funding support from the African Development Bank (AfDB), and was under the implementation of the Institute for Digital Marketing and Communication Ghana (IDMC-Ghana), a leading Institute in Digital Marketing and Communication.The move, dubbed 'Post Covid-19 Skills Development and Productivity Enhancement Project' (PSDPEP), would among others, equip participants with the skills and knowledge to produce impactful advocacy messages through audio-visuals.Other areas to be covered include Climate Change reporting, health communication, infectious diseases, MSME promotion, and digital storytelling.GNA was one of the five institutions selected to benefit from a $30 million initiative to be executed by the Social Investment Fund, over a five-year period.The engagement also saw brainstorming sessions, group presentations, critical analysis of issues, and others.So urce: Ghana News Agency