Maintain High Standards – Female Journos Urged

Female journalists in Ashanti region have been urged not to lose their identity and dignity because they are surrounded by men in their offices.

Speaking at the end of a two-day workshop on April 11, the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the GJA, Mrs. Georgina Ama Ankumah tasked the female journalists to rise up to challenge irrespective of the situation that they might find themselves in as they discharge their duty.

The two-day workshop which was organized by the International Federation of Journalists and funded by the Norwegian Unionof Journalists was under the theme; “Gender Equity and Safety for Female Journalist and Photographers.”

Mrs. Ankumah underscored instances where female journalists are faced with situations like sexual harassment, maternity leave, child birth, discrimination, less pay, no recognition and others whiles discharging their duties but that should not discourage but rather motivate them.

Adding that, the patriarchal nature of the African society extends right into the newsroom.

“The male journalists are given pride of place to the female not minding their competence. Most editors have the stereotypical idea that women have a limited intellectual capacity.”

“In most newsrooms female journalists usually do not receive equal opportunity to training and career advancement with their male counterparts. They are hardly ever assigned to strong political, investigative stories, for example covering the president or parliament. They are most often assigned to the “less important “beats like gender violence, health and beauty and cookery tips.”

The female journalists are regarded by her male employer, editor and counterparts as a woman not as a colleague.

They are rarely given the opportunity to prove their competence and if by accident they come up with some laudable results they are accused of having used their “woman power” to achieve.

They are perceived and treated as not been able to bring out the “news behind the news” and are never given the opportunity to prove themselves.

Issue of sexual harassment continues to be a predominant challenge to female journalists in Ghana and Africa as they mostly complain that they are often treated as sexual objects at work.

According to Mad. Georgina, female journalists are exposed to language and actions that embarrass them sexually as they relate to the public and even with their colleagues and bosses at work place, these come in ways as subtle as jokes about their feminine features like breasts and hips that keep them uncomfortable.

She however has encouraged her colleagues to maintain high moral values and standards in their way of dressing and interaction with the public so as to avoid high rates of sexual harassment.

She cautioned them to act professionally in order to avoid giving room for unnecessary advances.

GJA Vice President, Mrs. Linda Asante-Agyei also took the opportunity to urge male journalists to involve their female colleagues in the coverage of hard news so as to make them develop the necessary skills through practice.

“Media owners and editors should make efforts to change stereotypical views about women. If women in the newsroom are not empowered it would be difficult for the status of women to change in society. They should also create policies that strictly sanction perpetrators of sexual harassment.”

Mrs. Linda Asante-Agyei encouraged female journalists to form associations where they can discuss their problems and arrive at common solutions.

By: Ghana/Ultimatefmonline.com/106.9FM/Nana Ama Annor

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