A FORMER governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba, has emphasised the need for gender balance in the newsroom.
Osoba stated this during the 10th anniversary of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) Report Women! programme and public presentation of the Report Women! Experts source guide website on Thursday, 3 October 2024, in Lagos State.
Osoba, a veteran journalist, called for journalism to mainstream women as both subjects and storytellers.
The former governor, who chaired the event, expressed hope that the female expert’s source guide would address the underrepresentation of women in newsrooms by providing journalists with access to a diverse range of female experts across various fields, ensuring their voices are in the national discourse.
He said society had overlooked the voices and leadership of women for too long, adding that journalism must be responsible for telling stories and enabling equal opportunity across sectors.
He paid tribute to veterans like Yetunde Makanju, the late Oluremi Oyo, Funke Egbemode, and Bunmi Sofola, among other women, for blazing the trail in journalism in Nigeria.
He lauded them for serving as role models for female journalists across the country.
Speaking at the occasion, the executive director of WSCIJ, Motunrayo Alaka, said the guide would improve the visibility of women in the news and strengthen the overall quality and depth of journalism in Nigeria.
She acknowledged the strides of the 86 fellows of the Female Reporters Leadership Programme (FRLP), who had risen to leadership positions after their fellowship.
She also cautioned that data from the United Nations showed that it would take women 140 years to be represented equally in positions and that the Global Media Monitoring Programmes (GMMP) said it would take 67 years to close the average gender equality gap in traditional news media.
Alaka appreciated funders and partners for their continued support, reaffirming their commitment to driving further progress in the future.
At a panel discussion at the event, deputy director of the MacArthur Foundation, Amina Salihu, highlighted the importance of amplifying marginalised voices, particularly women’s voices.
She noted that women often face “poverty of time” due to multiple responsibilities, hindering their participation in various opportunities.
She commended the strategy behind the experts’ source guide, noting that it would enhance access to female experts and ultimately contribute to a more inclusive media landscape.
There were goodwill messages from Dickens Olewe, programme officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, funders for the project, Chris Isiguzo, president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Michel Deelen, consul general of the Netherlands, Omowunmi Akingbohungbe, executive director of Women in Management, Business, and Public Service (WIMBIZ), Chinyere Okunna, deputy vice-chancellor, Paul University, Awka, and Ijeoma Popoola, head of the Metropolitan Desk News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who represented Ifeyinwa Omowole, head of editorial operations at the agency.
The highlight of the event was a documentary underscoring the strides and achievements of the Report Women programme in the last ten years and a demonstration of the functionalities of its expert source guide website.
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