Journalists have been charged to understand the gender agenda to enable them to provide effective coverage for gender-sensitive, disparities and inequalities stories, Mr Francis Ameyibor, Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Manager stated.
He said journalists must also “Understand and mainstream gender reporting into news coverage, as women in leadership analyses issues differently from their male counterparts before responding.
“Most often the natural nature of women – sensitivity, sweetness, supportiveness, gentleness, warmth, passivity, cooperativeness, expressiveness, modesty, humility, empathy, affection, tenderness, and being emotional, kind, helpful, devoted, understanding and sometimes assertiveness comes to play in their leadership roles which must not be misconstrued”.
Mr Ameyibor said these during a working visit by GNA Tema team to explore possibilities of deepening working relationship with the Ada District Assembly headed by Ms Sarah Dugbakie Pobee, Ada East District Chief Executive.
The GNA Tema Regional team also called on the leadership of the Ada Traditional Council and discussed the roadmap to develop in-depth traditional news reportage focusing on development in the traditional area.
Mr Ameyibor noted women should not be clothed as arrogant, “these are stereotypes of the dark ages, which modern-day journalism has no room for,” the media therefore must develop some techniques and tools to assist reporters to mainstream gender sensitivity into news coverage as well as dealing with women and leadership positions.
He expressed concern about negative reportage about women in leadership, “the media need to study and understand the institution called Women to ensure effective coverage, unfortunately, some women media practitioners even allow their quest for news to overshadow the gender-sensitivity news coverage skills”.
Ms Pobee whiles commending the GNA Tema Regional Office for the initiative to deepen the relationship with the Ada East District Assembly called on the media to work with District Assemblies to strengthen the local government structure.
“Women in leadership need the support of all to achieve results as we carry the entire family along. We are not detached from the family, children, women, vulnerable, and the men, we carry the burden of all, we, therefore, need encouragement to deliver holistic development.
“The pull her down syndrome cannot help develop our districts, we may belong to different political dispensation but have the same agenda to develop the nation. We must therefore work for the interest of the people we represent”.
Ms Pobee appealed to the media to be agents for national development, “we need the media to develop, we must work together and not across the board”.
The Ada East DCE pledged to work with the GNA Tema Regional Office towards marketing and promoting the district to attract the needed investment, stressing that “GNA serves as a global media platform which links the country to the international world through its credible news dissemination and Ada East is ready to get on board”.
