Neptune Prime hosts northern female journalists on reporting challenges in the North East

Neptune Prime hosts northern female journalists on reporting challenges in the North East

From Sa’adatu Maina, Damaturu.

Neptune Prime Network in Collaboration with the Wale Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) has organized a one day workshop on challenges confronting female journalists in north east Nigeria and measures taken.

The meeting which drew Female Journalists across different media Organisations in North East took place in Damaturu the Yobe State capital on the 3rd of December 2023.

Speaking during the workshop, a senior reporter with Neptune Prime Network, Sa’adatu Maina said, Nigerian women were regularly confronted with gender-based discrimination in all spheres of life and women Journalists are not excluded.

She stated that based on experience, religious limitations and culture were some of the challenges in the North East that women Journalists are facing in carrying out their duties.

“If Women Journalists can be allowed to cover all types of beats, it would help to cover some of the challenges especially in the North East region.

In her contribution, a reporter with Yobe state Television (YTV) Hauwa Hassan narrated some of the challenges women Journalists face to include; Gender policies, beats policies, family responsibilities, and access to information as well as job security.

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“Continued advocacy is paramount, there is need to enlighten the public on allowing women Journalists to carry out their work, at least this will go a long way in providing women Journalists the much needed impetus to carry out their responsibilities successfully.

Murjanatu Hamisu Yalwa, a reporter with Sahel Treasure newspaper, revealed that few women Journalists are producers and sexual harassment from news gathering also affect women Journalists while conducting their duties.

“In terms of intimidation I think women Journalists should voice out their challenges for the public to understand the difficulties they face in gathering and disseminating news in the region”.

Some of the reporters while describing the role of Journalists stated that, Journalists are watch dog of the society and voice of the voiceless.

They maintained that, there are certain things women cannot do because of culture, intimidation and lack of access to information due to gender bias.

“Sometimes your job is not secure, if you are not attacked, you are thinking of your family as well”.

This workshop organied by Neptune Prime is supported by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) under the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability project.

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