FAWEZI Trains Zimbabwean Media on GBV-Sensitive Reporting
In an effort to enhance the quality of media reporting on GBV-sensitive issues, the Forum for African Women Educationalists Zimbabwe (FAWEZI), in partnership with ActionAid Zimbabwe, Leonard Cheshire Disability, and Family AIDS Caring Trust, recently held a Media Houses Training on GBV-Sensitive reporting with technical support from Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) and Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) under the TORCHES project.
The training was aimed at promoting responsible journalism that safeguards survivors’ dignity, prevents re-traumatisation, and challenges harmful stereotypes about gender-based violence (GBV) and disabilities.
FAWEZI Executive Director, Lydia Madyirapanze in her opening remarks, acknowledged the role that media plays in humanitarian work saying,
‘We are quite excited today and acknowledge the critical role Media plays in shaping public perceptions and influencing societal attitudes.’
She also called for a united front in survivor stories reporting,
‘Together, we want to commit to using our collective voice to amplify survivor stories, dignity, and respect.’
The Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development (MWACSMED) as represented by Mr. Chimboza, applauded FAWEZI and partners for hosting the event and expressed admiration for the event’s impact. He emphasized the Ministry’s responsibility in GBV prevention and acknowledged that the media plays an important role in supporting these efforts. His remarks highlighted the critical relationship between governmental initiatives and media coverage in addressing and mitigating GBV,
‘I would like to thank FAWEZI and partners for hosting this important meeting. The Ministry is responsible for GBV prevention and without the media, our work would be useless.’
Throughout the training, participants were trained on ethical and legal frameworks essential for reporting on GBV, disability, and children’s issues. The discussions emphasized the importance of verifying and fact-checking information before publication to prevent the spread of misinformation and ensure accurate representation of sensitive topics.
One of the facilitators at the training, Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe Executive Director, Loughty Dube, said the training was important to the media as they should be taught about handling survivors of violence,
‘It is important that media are taught and are alive to the reality of portraying a good picture when it comes to reporting on issues of gender-based violence. The media needs to capture the story in a sensitive way that protects the survivors and also make sure the media focuses on a solution-based approach when reporting issues of gender-based violence.’
The training highlighted the crucial role of ethical journalism in safeguarding the dignity of survivors and promoting a more informed and compassionate public discourse. Equipping media professionals with the knowledge to handle GBV-sensitive issues, will go a long way in forming a media space that is safe for survivors of violence to share their stories.
Menard