Source: The Herald
FOURTEEN Zimpapers reporters yesterday attended a two-day workshop on gender reporting. The participants were drawn from The Herald, Sunday Mail, Manica Post, Kwayedza, H-Metro and Star FM. The workshop, hosted by Gender Links, is designed to prepare journalists for 16 days of activism and how to report issues from a gender sensitive perspective.
"Zimbabwe is one of the best countries in adopting gender instruments but the problem is on implementing them," said Mrs Virginia
Muwanigwa of the Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe, who is facilitating the workshop. We are a signatory of the Sadc Protocol on Gender and
Development and as journalists you need to amplify issues that insist in meeting the protocol targets of achieving gender equality, equity, monitor and evaluate the progress.
"There is a myth that when people talk about gender they are referring to women, as journalists you need to demystify that concept because gender is about men and women." She urged the journalists to identify gender issues not only for the 16 days of activism but throughout the year.
According to Gender Links, the 16 days of activism against gender violence is an international campaign that starts on 25 November. "It is an international day for the elimination of gender-based violence, influencing behaviour change and securing high level political commitment to end gender violence.
"The campaign ends on 10 December and hopes to raise awareness about gender-based violence as a human rights issue at the local, national, regional and international level."