Source: The New Dawn
The Ministry of Gender and Development has hosted a one day workshop for journalists all across the country, rallying support of the media in the fight against Sexual Gender Based Violence or SGBV.
The workshop was also intended to give media practitioners a broad knowledge on reporting SGBV issues that are on the increase here. The Deputy Minister for Technical and Research Service at the Gender Ministry Madam Meima Sirleaf-Karneh, told journalists that their partnership was needed in fighting SGBV in Liberia.
Madam Karneh pointed out that despite previous efforts by the ministry and its partners to fight the crime, the fight was becoming fruitless by the day, so they were brining in the media to join the campaign.
"The Ministry and partners have tried over the years to fight against SGBV but decided to come back to the drawing board to involve the media cause you know the media plays a critical role in everything in this country because when it comes from the media, it becomes more validated than even members of the society or the government," she observed.
For her part, the Ministry of Gender and Development Julia Duncan Cassell, who expressed this dissatisfaction for not see more females at the workshop, said it was important that many males coming onboard as a companion in fighting GBV and rape issues in Liberia.
"When I first walked in the room, my impression was why only one female journalist, but my second thought was this is where we want to go; we want men as companions in fighting Gender Based Violence and rape issues in Liberia."
"So I am glad to see all of you from the media from all across the country to be part of this workshop and together we can have a good partnership," Madam Cassell said.
She pointed that the Gender Ministry is not asking journalists to compromise objectivity in their reportage, but to give their stories a gender lens, while warning the media to avoid taking pictures of women when they are victimized.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues at the close of the workshop, Journalist Julius Jeh of Fabric Radio thanked the Gender Ministry family for organizing the workshop for the media, which he noted, provided them adequate knowledge on SGBV to be able to properly inform the public.