Participants at a one day training organised by 2021 female reporters leadership Programme of Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism have described the programme as a wake up call for female journalists to be more sensitive in reporting sexual based violence plaguing many homes.
Some of the participants Mrs Ngozi Anosike and Mrs Anita Ogona who spoke with our correspondent expressed happiness stating that the training has thought them the need to document their stories for future reference and also network with other colleagues in the profession to be at the apex of journalism .
Executive Director of Media Career Development Network, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin, in a virtual presentation charged the female Journalists to be intentional, focused and determined to take the profession to an enviable height.
Mr Otufodunrin urged the participants to put to practice the knowledge they have acquired from the training as they aspire to be at the apex of the profession .
On her part, organiser of the training, Mrs Ann Godwin said, she was moved to impact what she learnt during her training at the Female Reporter Leadership Programme, FRLP ;in Lagos to her colleagues in the State so that they can work together and give more voices to issues of Sexual and Gender Based Violence.
Mrs Godwin charged the female Journalists not to limit themselves in the profession but step up and build their professional carriers by utilizing what they learnt in seminars, trainings and workshops to enable them fill the leadership spaces .
She urged the participants to develop the ‘I can do spirit’ , by being thorough, discipline, outspoken and unbiased in their reportage.
She stressed the need to give priority attention in reporting Sexual and Gender Based Violence issues with the aim of curtailing the menace.
She noted that such stories can earn awards, good recognition to women journalists and urged them to step up by working hard, do more investigative stories and network with each other to clinch amiable heights in the profession.
Also speaking, the Acting Chairperson of the International Federation of Female Lawyers,FIDA; Rivers State, Mrs Nnenna Igbokwe, who lamented the increasing rate of gender based violence in the State maintained that the association will not relent in ensuring that the issues are brought to the barest minimum.
Similarly, Chairperson Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ Rivers State chapter Mrs Susan Serekara-Nwikhana charged the participants to step up their games and aspire to be the best in the pen profession.
Also speaking, Coordinator Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, Mr Prince Wiro, who lamented the high rate of internal trafficking in Rivers State, encouraged female Journalists to be more intentional in reporting issues that concerned women.
The Capacity Training for Female Journalists held at the NUJ secretariat in PortHarcourt tagged “Step Up ” was attended by Newsmen drawn from the print , electronic and social media.
