UN Women awards media gender champs
UN Women country representative Letty Chiwara says women’s equal participation and leadership in politics and public life is essential to achieving commitments to Generation Equality and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
She said this in Lilongwe on Thursday evening when UN Women hosted the Gender Journalism Awards ceremony which saw 25 journalists from the East and Southern African Region honoured in different categories.
The awardees were in five categories and represented 15 countries in the region, including Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.
Chiwara said when women are empowered to participate in decision-making, they can have a greater say in the decisions that affect their lives and their communities, leading to more inclusive and representative policies and programmes that better address the needs of women and girls.
“The media has the power to raise awareness, positively transform social norms and behaviours that continue to hinder women’s rights activism and leadership and mobilise citizens to take progressive actions,” she said.
The journalists were honoured in categories that included women’s rights activism and leadership, feminist movements and financing for a gender-equal future as well as technology and innovation for gender equality, among others.
The awardees included three Malawian journalists, namely Meclina Chirwa of Timveni Radio, international correspondent Owen Nyaka and freelance journalist Ralph Mweninguwe.
Chirwa, who was awarded under the protection of civic space for feminist action category, said she considered it as a great honour to receive the award.
“This accomplishment is a significant milestone in my life. I am humbly thankful and it is a motivation for me to continue having the highest level of dedication in this job.
“I am truly overwhelmed by this chance to receive this award,” she said.
Chirwa’s winning story was about the challenges that women and girls face to access proper menstrual products such as sanitary pads.
“My story focused much on the role that men can play towards the promotion of menstrual hygiene,” she said.
Nyaka was equally grateful for being recognised, but expressed disappointment over UN Women’s inability to honour its pledge for monetary awards to the winners.
