By Opesika Tetteh Puplampu
Sogakope (V/R), Sept. 19, GNA – Ms Melody M. Darkey, the National Programmes Coordinator of Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF), has disclosed that gender discussion triggers a lot of emotions among people, which challenges the existing knowledge in a society.
Ms Darkey said gender underpins the very foundation and the fabric of society in how people relate to others, making gender an important planning variable.
Speaking to journalists of the Ghana News Agency at a workshop on health communication reporting, advocating for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), gender advocacy, and climate change at Sogakorpe, she urged the media to serve as a mirror and watchdog for society.
She stressed that gender-sensitive reporting was essential to contributing to a more balanced representation of society, as gender equality is an integral part of freedom of expression.
According to her, although there was sufficient clarity on gender-based discrimination and gender identity, there was inadequate demonstration of knowledge about basic concepts, including the definitions, differences, and relationship between sex and gender, as well as gender-based issues, including gender influences and gender influencers.
Ms Darkey disclosed that gender was not anti-male and not a war between the sexes, as gender affects all sexes.
“Sex is the biological make-up of individuals that identifies them as female, male, or intersex, while gender is the socially constructed definition of women and men,” she explained.
She encouraged the media to adopt gender-sensitive reporting as a way of producing media contents that were sensitive to gender inequalities and portray women and men fairly to ensure balanced representation, challenge stereotypes, and promote gender equality.
“Overall, it is important for journalists to strive to ask equal numbers of women and men for their opinions on all topics, cover issues of particular importance to women’s lives, and make special consideration to include and represent the diverse stories and voices of people who are least visible in the media.”
She asked them to consider additional gender angles to major news stories, seek the expertise of women and women’s organisations to see whether there was an alternative interpretation or a more significant story to be reported, and ensure balanced representations of all genders in visual and multimedia aspects of a story.
She urged journalists to raise awareness, challenge stereotypes, provide a platform, promote positive role models, and advocate for policy change.
GNA