SHANNISE DZOBO
MASVINGO – Gender Media Connect (GMC) engaged female journalists on election reporting in Masvingo centered on the recently held plebiscite.
Those in attendance included Alderman Selina Maridza, ward 1 councillor elect, Sabina Chikwangwani of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) and Theresa Takafuma TellZim News Editor.
Nyarai Kampilipili, senior program officer of GMC said the engagement was mainly on uplifting the women in politics bt increasing their visibility to the electorate and to also give them an opportunity to be heard by the electorate even after the elections.
“This engagement we have organised with female journalists and women in politics is mainly focused on uplifting women who are in politics to get media coverage from their fellow gender in media without stereotyping,” said Kampilipili.
“This is also going to help in removing fear from the women in politics and have confidence in the media particularly female journalists so that their works can also be recorded and be at par with men in politics”.
Alderman Maridza also commended GMC for creating a platform to engage and discuss gender issues that they face in their line of work without fear of being judged unlike when they interact with male journalists.
“I am very happy with this engagement that was created by GMC for us to talk to our counterparts without fear of being judged unlike when we talk to their male colleagues and this is going to go a long way with us having confidence with them that they will be able to put the work that we do in our wards out there for the world to see that women are also capable just like men,” said Maridza.
“As a new person in the political arena I found it very hard to welcome journalists in my turf since I thought that the media can easily ruin one’s career in a snap but I am now relieved that there are also female journalists that are able to write positive stories about women in politics in particular therefore from today onwards I will engage with them full time”, said Chikwangwani.
Takafuma summed up by putting confidence in the women in politics telling them that there is a thin line between women in media and women in politics hence they face the same issues in their line of work.
“From what you have all alluded to, you should note that women in politics and women in media face almost the same persecutions therefore we should work hand in hand to uplift each other in our line of work in whatever way we can”, said Takafuma.
She went on to encourage GMC to continue having such engagements especially after elections.
