UNFPA, UN Women engage journalists in GBV reporting
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has warned that recurrent humanitarian disasters are exacerbating gender-based violence (GBV), with women and girls bearing the brunt of the crisis.
UNFPA GBV programmes specialist Beatrice Kumwenda said this on Monday in Mzuzu during a training of journalists affiliated to Nyika Media Club and Association for Women in Media (Awome).
She said the training, conducted in partnership with United Nations Women, sought to equip journalists to report responsibly on GBV, particularly during disasters.
Said Kumwenda: “Malawi faces recurring disasters and calamities that severely impact women and girls, who are already vulnerable to GBV due to underlying inequalities.
“This leads to increased workload, care burden and a surge in sexual violence as a coping mechanism due to lack of resources and a disrupted social fabric.”
She observed that the media’s reporting on GBV often falls short, sometimes leading to double victimisation of survivors due to incorrect terminologies and stereotyping.
“We believe the training will enable the media to prioritise survivors’ dignity, respect and safety, ensuring accurate and supportive reporting on GBV,” she said.
On her part, Nyika Media Club vice-president and Awome member Alepher Katsongo hailed the training as an enlightening experience for reporting GBV stories.
“We will now report from a well-informed perspective, using the right terminologies, which will significantly improve our reporting standards,” she said
