MEDIA- The Publisher of BONews Service and a fellow of the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) Women Reporters Fellowship Programme, Blessing Oladunjoye has organized a one-day training for entry-level female journalists across print, broadcast, and online media platforms in Lagos.
The training which is a leadership project and an initiative of Ms Oladunjoye was tagged Leading (Media) Ladies and sought to address the challenges of how female journalists leave the newsrooms because of workplace challenges which deter them from growing their career.
While addressing the participants, Ms. Oladunjoye explained that the training was organized with the intention to provide relevant support to female journalists who are at the entry-level of their career, and might exit the newsrooms if they do not receive necessary support.
Oladunjoye said “oftentimes, the number of female students in journalism institute are larger compared to the number of female in the newsrooms, and this has direct impact in the number of female journalists that emerge as leaders in the newsrooms.”
She encouraged the participants to rise above all odds and leverage on the support system that the Leading (Media) Ladies initiative would offer, to enable them grow in their career. Mrs. Juliana Francis, award-winning investigative journalist and Deputy Editor at the Eagle Online said some of the challenges that female journalists experience include sexual harassment in the newsrooms and in the beat, the need to proof their worth, as well as balancing work and home.
Mrs. Francis buttressed that “75% of media organizations in Nigeria do not have sexual harassment policy that can protect women in the newsrooms.”
She thereafter charged the participants not to restrict themselves and to grow beyond the stereotypes in the newsrooms. Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin, media expert and Executive Director of the Media Career Development Network (MCDN) charged the participants to map out their career plans so they can follow it diligently and grow.
Mr. Otufodunrin said “as female journalists, you should have a career plan that will guide you and keep you going even when there are challenges.”
He also added that female journalists “should exhibit leadership potentials, because you don’t have to be in a position to show that you’re a leader.”
Dr. Adeola Ekine, the Chairperson of the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) who spoke on the Role of Mentorship in Supporting Female Journalists admonished the participants to identify mentors in the media industry that would guide them through their career path.
Dr. Ekine said “mentorship plays a vital role in the personal and professional development of female journalists.”
The participants appreciated the speakers and the convener for the impactful and inspiring training, stressing that it would help them to remain relevant in the newsroom.
Oluwaseyi Lawal, a journalist with Newsclick Nigeria said “the training has been quite impactful and with all that I have heard, I’m certain I am never disappearing from the newsroom. Thank you all for bringing together this community of female journalists who will break barriers and emerge as leaders in the media space.”
