NAWOJ trains 760 journalists on gender issues

National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) has trained 760 journalists on gender issues in three years, the National President, Mrs Ifeyinwa Omowole, said on Tuesday.

Omowole made this known at a one-day training for a batch of 260 journalists in Abuja, on the occasion of “NAWOJ at 30: Still Standing.”

She said that the training was for both male and female journalists across the nation.

She added that the training was aimed at equipping media practitioners with skills and knowledge to report gender-based issues, with a view to ending violence, molestation, rape and abuse of women and girls.

She explained that the training would also encourage journalists to carry out investigative reports, educate the public on precautionary measures, as well as ensure that offenders were prosecuted.

Omowole said “the essence of this training is to forge a strategic plan for NAWOJ to engage in gender issues and challenges in Nigeria.

“We have trained over 500 journalists, including men and women in the past three years on gender issues; today, we have over 260 journalists across the nation participating in the training on gender issues.

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“We want to ensure that the issue of gender-based violence in workplace, homes and other places is addressed.

“NAWOJ is at the forefront of ending gender violence by sensitising the public and even going as far as ensuring that perpetrators of such violence are brought to book.”

She, therefore, advised the training participants to use the knowledge toward promoting gender issues and to work toward tackling all forms of gender-based violence in the country and beyond.

She added that “let us talk the talk; let us not come here and be trained without implementing the knowledge gained to achieve the set goals.

“We encounter gender issues in cities and in rural areas and that is why NAWOJ is concerned.

“There is the need to educate Nigerians on gender violence and to speak out for the voiceless so as to curb the menace.”

She reiterated the commitment of NAWOJ toward fighting the cause of women and children and enhancing the status of women in all spheres of national issues. (NAN)