By Dorothy Frances Ward
Kumasi, March 8, GNA – Female journalists and media practitioners have called on society to recognize the contributions and achievements of female journalists and honour them.
“The time has come for the Government and other key stakeholders to recognise and honour female journalists for their roles in the challenging media landscape of the country,” the journalists stressed.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi on the International Women’s Day and the work of a female journalist, the women said female media practitioners were playing frontal roles in shaping society and needed to be recognized, especially during women’s day celebrations.
They also stressed the need to address the biases and stereotype against all women at all levels of life from childhood to adulthood,
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day Celebration is: “Invest in Women; Accelerate Progress.”
Ms. Akua Afriyie, a reporter with an online news portal, said there must be positive change and advancement in the lives of women in the media circles.
This is because, they work as harder as their male counterparts, and they must be allowed to undertake more challenging work in the industry.
She said through programmes and grants, women journalists must be empowered with training opportunities and be supported to become leaders in the media industry.
She added that investing in women was the best way in solving most global crisis.
Ms Gina Ankumah, Chief Journalist, at a television station pointed out that investing in women would help realise the gender equality dividend for all in society,
She said women journalists had played significant roles in the media industry and had helped brought a more diverse and inclusive media landscape and this needed to be recognized.
Ms. Ewurama Addo, a journalist with a radio station at Takoradi, said innovative approaches must be explored to finance women’s economic justice and rights, to help eradicate poverty among women.
“Women journalists work hard but most of them are poorly remunerated.
“We start work from dawn to dusk but are always financially constrained”, she pointed out.
Women in the media face the same threats as their male counterparts.
Additionally, they experience gender inequalities and safety issues as well as underrepresentation.
The ladies called on the government to help these brilliant women in journalism thrive in which ever ways they desired.
GNA