MZUZU-(MaraviPost)-The United Nations Fund for Population Agency (UNFPA)-Malawi has implored journalists in the country to report more on gender-based violence that mainly involves girls and women in times of disasters.
The organization has made the plea after noting a rise in the vice during disasters that have been affecting the country in the last few years.
UNFPA-Malawi Gender and gender-based violence specialist Beatrice Kumwenda told the media the past week in Mzuzu that the time has come for the press to bring to light issues that affect women and girls in times of disasters such as rape and defilement, just to mention a few.
Kumwenda spoke on the sidelines of a three-day capacity-building training session for members of the Nyika Media Club and the Association of Women in Media (AWOME).
“We always cherish the relationship we have with the media and that’s why we want media practitioners to help us disseminate information about gender-based violence that mainly occurs during disasters,” Kumwenda said.
The UNFPA-MALAWI has since challenged media practitioners to be change agents.
“We would love if our media start reporting victim-centred stories,” said Kumwenda.
And speaking on behalf of the Association of Women in Media, the association’s vice general secretary Towera Katswiri commended UNFPA-MALAWI for organizing the training.
“We will now be able to start writing victim-centred stories because we have been trained properly,” said Katswiri.
The training brought together selected media practitioners from the northern region of the country.
