IAWRT-KE

Tag: #EndOGBV

  • Mapping and Reporting Violations on Safety Of Women Journalists in Africa

    On Sunday, 24th November 2024, the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) Kenya successfully hosted a webinar focused on reporting violations against female journalists in Africa.

    The session brought together journalists, media practitioners and stakeholders to discuss the pressing and rising challenge of gender-based violence (GBV) and online gender-based violence (OGBV) that disproportionately affect women in journalism.

    Owing to the need to curb O/GBV, mapping and reporting cases stand to be critical steps in the fight. This project, supported by UNESCO and IDPC developed the monitoring tool to enable mapping of violation cases using modern technologies.

    The key highlights of the Webinar included:

    • Introduction to the monitoring and reporting Platform
      Participants were introduced to the monitoring  platform https://report.iawrt.or.ke/views/map. It allows users to sign in and map incidents, contributing to data-driven advocacy and accountability.
    • Rallying call to mapping violations
      Attendees were encouraged to actively map cases of O/GBV against journalists during the 16 Days of Activism. This initiative aims to highlight the prevalence of such violations, ensuring they are documented and addressed effectively.

    This initiative is a significant step in curbing O/GBV against female journalists by:

    • Providing a Safe Space for Reporting: The platform offers a confidential and accessible way for female journalists to report violations, ensuring their voices are heard and their experiences documented.
    • Data-Driven Advocacy: The collected data will inform targeted interventions and policy advocacy to address systemic issues contributing to O/GBV in the media. Key stakeholders including the Judicial systems and the police will also be well informed on how to handle reported cases.
    • Raising Awareness: By mapping violations, the project sheds light on the often-overlooked risks faced by female journalists,for public and institutional awareness.
    • Building Accountability: The platform facilitates transparency and accountability, pressuring perpetrators and institutions to act against the vice.
    • Empowering Female Journalists: The initiative aims to empower female journalists by providing tools and resources to advocate for their safety and rights and eliminate the fear and shaming of victims.

    The webinar marked an important moment in rallying collective action to protect female journalists in Africa by mapping cases – the most important step in gathering data.

    Journalists and digital media users at large are encouraged to leverage the platform as a tool for advocacy and change especially in these 16 Days of Activism against GBV. 

     IAWRT is committed to creating safer spaces for female journalists in Africa and beyond and keenly underscores the need for collaborative action to achieve this goal.

    Feel free to map violations anywhere across Africa.

    Sign into the platform via : https://report.iawrt.or.ke/views/map

    By Raylenne Kambua

  • Safety of Journalists in Crises and Emergencies: International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists

    Safety of Journalists in Crises and Emergencies: International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists

    Over the past several years, journalistic integrity and safety have been under attack due to the rapidly rising number of deaths, threats, and assaults to reporters across the globe. This two-day event was launched as a global call to action on behalf of the many journalists risking their lives to report on the different humanitarian conflicts happening concurrently around the world.

    The crises in Ukraine, Palestine, Haiti, the Congo, Yemen, Afghanistan, and other parts of the world, beg the need for an immediate and continuous flow of humanitarian information. In these emergencies, reliable information from unbiased media hubs that can be accessed freely is desperately needed.

    The launch of the Global Repository of National and Regional Safety Mechanisms for Journalists which contain 57 nations and 14 action plans worldwide seeks to address these issues in a more in-depth and direct manner. One sure way by involving different stakeholders in the quest to end impunity by perpetrators of the heinous attacks.

     Donna Lynn Caparas from the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) in the Philippines, revealed how numerous journalists were killed for reporting on the illegal logging involving a Mayor because the police did not adequately protect them.

    There is also a need for more Pan-African collaboration within the continent regarding monitoring and reporting on the safety of journalists.

    There have been some successful practices in crisis zones for example in Somalia as explained by Ms. Leyla Mohammed, Editor, Radio Ergo concerning providing security for the female reporters.

    However, the opposite is happening in the Sahel region with journalists being detained and disappearing at an alarming rate.

    To address the gendered aspect of safety regarding women in these high-risk zones, The International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) working with other stakeholders in the region, has developed an online mapping system that ensures effective monitoring and reporting of attacks against journalists with a bias towards women journalists.

    This is because women journalists face higher risks of abductions and assaults including rape. Immediate reports on attacks against journalists are meant to ensure a spontaneous response, especially for journalists who require protection and other support instantly.

    The online mapping system, already in effect in 16 African countries and seeking to upgrade to include all African nations, has been supported by the IPDC program under UNESCO.

    A key highlight of the day was the virtual Scroll of the names of 1653 journalists killed in their line of duty, in the past 30 years. 

    Let us track , monitor and report attacks against journalists here: https://report.iawrt.or.ke/views/map

    By, Lily Mwaniga – IAWRT Member, Kenya.