Covid-19: BeLA Calls On Journalists To Amplify The Voices Of Women

Martial Gnoukapasir

Group picture of organizers, facilitators and participants.

It's been revealed that the current Covid-19 pandemic has deepen the inequalities that  exists between men and women in our communities.

 More and more women and girls are increasingly becoming victims of domestic abuse (GBV), as a result of the lockdown and other measures adopted by W.H.O and the government of Cameroon to curb the spread of the virus.

And because women and girls constitute over 60% of care givers in health institutions within our communities, the population in our markets and other public spaces, they're also those largely exposed to the risk of contracting the virus.

Participants receiving lessons

According to the North West chief of service for the protection and promotion of the rights of child and family, Mr Tendgomo Frankline, more women are dying than men from the virus.

"Majority of the funds dedicated to promote maternal health and protect the rights of Women and girls have also been diverted to combat the pandemic, leaving more women exposed and vulnerable to incidents of violence"

The outlined factors and many others, is what obviously seems to have motivated the Beacon Of Light Association (BeLA), a non governmental institution with interest in building safer spaces for women, to assemble journalists and national language broadcasters in the North West region of Cameroon on Wednesday May 13th in bamenda, for a one-day workshop that equipped the media men and women with the  techniques needed to mainstream gender as they report the Covid-19 pandemic, focusing on  the specific needs and challenges of women and girls such as stereotypes and misrepresentation.

Mrs Yekpu Eleen Ndze. BeLA's C.E.O

BeLA's chairperson Mrs yekpu Eleen Nde, opening the workshop, encouraged the media men and women to always seek the views and stories of women when narrating stories on Covid-19, attempt solutions to their vulnerabilities and amplify  their voices during public debates".

"Covid-19 has dealt a great blow to women and girls economically and health-wise, causing GBV to increase exponentially. As Journalists please help us explore how the lives of women and girls have change as a result of the pandemic, and adopt communicative responses"

Wirba Arsan- NW MINPROF delegate

NW regional delegate of women affairs and the family Mr Wirba Asan said the initiative takes the delegation a step forward in achieving it's objectives of having the women and girls at the centre of the fight against the virus.

"Journalists should help to create more awareness on the donations made, so that even women living with disabilities, Idp's, minorities etc can know where to get free protective gears such as face masks, santizers etc. ..It's equally their responsibility to educate remote communities on the sanitary measures. Also focus on prevention because it's better to prevent than respond to Covid-19 cases"

Teteh Kingsley - Coordinator Covid-19 response centre, regional hospital in Bamenda.

The regional coordinator of the Covid-19 centre at the regional hospital in Bamenda Mr Teteh Kingsley painted a picture of virus in the region and how the hospital was managing the positive cases.

Obah Rose facilitating

Mrs Obah Roseline Aka in her module on gender sensitive reporting, practically encourage the media personalities to always treat women fairly in their news report and avoid slangs/words that will underestimate their worth and portray them as weaklings.

It was recommended that since women are better managers, they should be involve in all the actions taken by goverment within this period to  cope with the effects of the pandemic in our country.

The one-day training on mainstreaming gender in the reporting of Covid-19, taking into consideration the specific needs of women and girls by Beacon Of light , rounded up a one week commemorative field work during which alot of sensitization was done on the subject matter and donations of sanitary kits were made by the Association.