The Nigeria Association for Women Journalists, NAWOJ, and the Gender Strategy Advancement Initiative,GSAi, are considering a partnership aimed at addressing gender inequality and enhancing women's leadership across Nigeria.
Ogbeche who disclosed this during a courtesy visit by the Gender Strategy Advancement International, GSAi, on Tuesday in Abuja, praised the efforts of GSAi in empowering female journalists through trainings, stressing the need for the initiative to expand its reach beyond Abuja.
She said, ‘You mentioned that 60 journalists have been trained. We know there are many more to be trained beyond Abuja. This courtesy call is the beginning of that extension because, in the North Central region, we have six states including the FCT.
"The expectation is that the next round of this training will involve women outside the FCT. We have nearby states like Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue, and Kogi, and while Kwara is a little bit farther, we can always find a way to bridge the gap. We can even do online training sometimes that's the beauty of technology. We do not need to be physical for training; women can be trained remotely."
Ogbeche stressed NAWOJ’s commitment to promoting gender-based issues, politics, women’s empowerment, and other thematic areas.
“As time went on, we observed that women improved significantly, but we have people outside journalism who are not practicing and still need our assistance. So, we have to go beyond just the media. NAWOJ is now working in many thematic areas, including gender-based violence, politics, women empowerment, skills training, and more. What GSAi does is also similar to what NAWOJ is doing.”
She also emphasized the importance of accountability in governance, pointing that journalists are not only to disseminate information, but to also hold public people in office accountable.
The zonal head used the opportunity to highlight the success of a recent storytelling exhibition organized by GSAi, where NAWOJ members were recognized for their work. She particularly commended a NAWOJ member who won the 'Best Investigative Report' award at the exhibition.
She therefore encouraged a partnership between NAWOJ and GSAi, calling for the development of a Memorandum of Understanding to streamline collaborative efforts.
"We have a lot in common and many areas where we can work together. Our strength and resources combined can take us places. We should also sit down and streamline our efforts and have an MoU in areas where we can work together, so that we know this is the working document. Let us know what the Association is bringing to the table, and also what your organization is bringing.
"I must commend Adora for what she’s doing on YouTube. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a step—we knew when she started, and gradually she’s growing. She’s also an inspiration to other women journalists, showing them that beyond just filing reports for the day and going home, you can do more. There are opportunities to do more.
‘We know that the 60 journalists you trained will stay in touch with you, and you will continue mentoring them with the hope that they will, in turn, mentor others.
"During my campaign, mentorship was one of my core pillars because I believe in grooming people. As I always say, if I’m in civil service, in the next 10 years I should be retiring. So what will I see? Who am I bringing on board to take over from us? By the time you’re leaving or stepping aside, the people you mentored should be mentoring others. It’s a cycle that we need to maintain.”
Earlier in her remarks, GSAi's Communication Officer, Grace Udie, reiterated the organization's focus on promoting inclusive representation for women, especially in political spaces.
She emphasized that the underrepresentation of women in politics is a major concern driven by patriarchy.
“We did this research to ensure that more women and the underrepresented are included in the political space. When women are underrepresented in the political space, they do not have the ability to speak. When you have someone in leadership who understands what you face as a woman, especially a woman from a grassroots community affected by societal and cultural norms, you realize how important it is for that woman to be represented by another who has gone through the same challenges in the political space.
“Why are we seeing limited numbers? It’s because there is a lot of patriarchy in society. We have many men in those seats, making it difficult for women. Yes, some women are there, but are they allowed to participate in the decision-making processes that affect other women? Sometimes they are subdued because they are outnumbered.
“As an organization, we saw the need to research this and come up with outcomes to understand the reasons affecting women's participation in the political space—and not just the political space. For us, the political space is widely reached. Why do I say this? I think that if we’re able to cover the political space for women across the Federation and the FCT, we can change the narrative for women. We also want to put women in leadership spaces, give more voices to women, and change the narrative surrounding the issues faced by women, girls, and persons with disabilities, especially at the community level.
“Over time, working with the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), we have also seen our organization engage with the media. We believe that the media is very strong in pushing this narrative, and we see significant change because stories about women's issues are being reported effectively. Even the tone of the reports reflects emotion because of journalists like you in NAWOJ who put passion into reporting these issues.
“However, in recent times, we have seen a rise in cases of gender-based violence. We are reporting them, but are there policies that are changing? That’s where we need to keep having this conversation. We also believe in the power of partnership and collaboration, which is why we’ve come to this course. Now we can align to change the narratives, especially from the grassroots, which is critical.
“In the gender the agenda training we did, we trained 60 reporters on gender accountability and inclusive reporting. The reason for this is to hold relevant institutions accountable for the shortcomings on gender-based issues. If institutions are not held accountable, most of the budgeting meant for communities and women’s needs can be sidelined to other projects. With the media and civil society watching, and women watching, society can ensure that these projects are channeled toward what they’re meant for. At the very least, we should see efforts from stakeholders.
“We believe that if we see change in the FCT, it will spiral into other states across the country.”
