United Nations seeks media support for women candidates ahead of 2023 general elections in Nigeria

The United Nations (UN) Women have called on the media to come to the aid of women candidates at all levels, in the forthcoming 2023 general elections by supporting them through a positive coverage of their political activities.

Penpushing reports that United Nations (UN) Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong made the passionate call on Saturday at the quarterly Media Dialogue with Media Executives and Chief Editors on Gender Responsive Reporting held in Lagos

‘I appeal to you once again to harness the power of the media by using your respective media platforms to join this laudable project of supporting women through a positive coverage as we move towards campaigns for the 2023 general elections’,Eyong stated.

‘I want to encourage ourselves to reaffirm our commitments to gender sensitive reporting of electoral issues, including positive portrayal of women to the public. In our last meeting we deliberated on so many issues which include the following major outcomes: Quarterly meetings to review our progress, providing visibility and media support/courage to female candidates running for the 2023 general elections’, she stated

Penpushing further reports that, Eyong, recalled that other resolutions at the last meeting include training of reporters on gender responsive reporting, social media engagement and branding of public places, media annual award for gender sensitive Executives, Reporters and Media houses, support exchange and learning programmes for reporters within the region and conscious women inclusion of key and important news sourcing by media organizations

The United Nations (UN) Women Representatives disclosed that the international body has commenced the implementation of these resolutions, explaining that some of them already in advance stage., which include training of over 80 reporters, as well as additional training ongoing

‘I wish to inform you that UN Women has commenced the implementation of these resolutions, some of them already in advance stage. Immediately after the release of candidates list by INEC, UN Women launched out for the contacts of female candidates, some of them have responded’, she stated

‘We have also organized roundtables between some female candidates and the private sectors as part of support to their campaigns. Training of media reporters is currently ongoing. Over 80 reporters have been trained in Kaduna, FCT and Kwara States’.

‘We have also advertised for social media engagement and the process of selecting a competent organization will commence as soon as possible. Jingles has also been developed to support female candidates, town hall meetings, sensitization and awareness are going on in the six geo-political zones’,Eyong said.

Penpushing also reports that, she noted that  the   meeting will provide the media executives the opportunity to discuss and review what United Nations(UN) have done as organizations and how this could proffer way forward that will benefit female candidates at the 2023 general elections.

‘The media is doing a lot and very well based on my judgement since the released of the candidates list by INEC, I want to thank you. I have seen many candidates invited to speak in many media programmes, particularly radio and television programmes on elections, unfortunate I have not seen any of the female candidates in any of the media programme’, she said.

‘The only female presidential candidate for the election is not known. I am sure that many of us here do not even know that there is a female presidential candidate. Ladies and Gentlemen, as Chief Executives and Senior Editors, and practitioners of the most influential media houses in TV, radio and print in Nigeria, I appeal to you once again to harness the power of the media’

Penpushing reports that, the quarterly Media Dialogue with Media Executives and Chief Editors on Gender Responsive Reporting was organized by the United Nations (UN) Women in collaboration with Government of Canada and WFM Radio (Voice of Women

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