ARDA Trains Ekiti Journalists on Equal Reportage of Women in Politics

The African Radio Drama Association (ARDA) on Thursday organized a one-day training for journalists in Ekiti State, focusing on promoting equal media coverage of women’s participation in politics alongside their male counterparts.

The workshop, tagged “Representation Matters: How Media Should Portray Women in Political Leadership and Governance in Nigeria,” was supported by UN Women and the Canadian government.

It aimed to equip journalists with skills and knowledge to reshape the narrative around women’s political involvement through traditional and social media platforms.

Speaking during the event, Adebisi, a Media and Development Communications Professional and an associate of ARDA, emphasized the need for balanced and issue-based reporting of women in politics.

“The objective of this media training is to equip media professionals with the skills and knowledge to increase women’s participation in politics and governance through media advocacy.

This initiative is supported by the UN Women, the Canadian government, and ARDA Development and Communication Incorporation,” she said.

Adebisi urged journalists to evaluate women in leadership roles using the same standards applied to men, focusing on their abilities and contributions rather than personal details such as marital status or family background.

Her words: “We should focus on the issues, her abilities, and what she brings to the table. If she’s competent, we should promote and drive conversations around her capabilities rather than linking her achievements to her family name or personal life.”

She added that the training also highlighted the importance of men supporting women in leadership roles by equipping interested women with the tools to excel.

“One of the key outcomes of the training is the need to increase men’s support for women’s leadership participation and to enhance grassroots mentorship opportunities for young women aspiring to lead.

We want the media to address issues such as violence in politics and promote mentorship and training for women,” she said.

Adebisi further stressed that achieving gender balance in leadership is crucial for a functional democracy, saying, “We cannot achieve an inclusive democracy without equal representation.

Women and men must work together to ensure governance that meets the needs of all citizens.”

The training concluded with a call for journalists to intensify conversations around women’s leadership and to advocate for a political system free from gender bias and violence.