UN Women and its partners have launched the 2021 Gender Journalism Awards for East and Southern African journalists promoting gender-sensitive reporting.

The competition aims to promote partnerships between the media and actors in the regional women’s rights sector, with a key focus on supporting and motivating young journalists to develop interest in specialising in gender reporting.

Current UN projections show that gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years.

Also, evidence is growing that the Covid-19 pandemic is having a disproportionate and severe impact on women’s rights – from their role as front-line health care workers often without adequate protection, to the loss of jobs as the informal economy shrinks.

UN Women Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Moez Doraid, said that the agency was implementing a series of Generation Equality activities in the region.

Doraid noted that the UN agency is working with governments, feminist movements, civil society, the media, youths, and other actors to accelerate gains in gender equality.

‘In Tanzania and Malawi, we are supporting the work of feminist movements, but looking at the whole ecosystem, to bring and make all actions more visible and influence concrete commitments to gender equality. One of our activities is the Regional Gender Journalism Awards’, he said.

The competition is open to all practicing journalists but the primary target audience for the awards are young reporters below the age of 35.

In recognition of excellence in promoting the rights of women and girls, a total of 15 prizes will be awarded in November this year.

Journalists, according to a statement from the UN agency, are expected to frame their stories in line with five categories – Women’s Rights Activism and Leadership; Protection of Civic Space for Feminist Action and Movement Building; Intergenerational Partnerships for Consensus Building and Succession; Feminist Movements and Financing for a Gender Equal Future; and Technology and Innovation for Gender Equality.

The challenge is backed by the UN Women Tanzania, UN Women Malawi, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), the African Women Leaders’ Network (Tanzania and Malawi Chapters), the Tanzania Media Women Association (TAMWA), the Association of Women in Media (Malawi), and the MISA Chapters in Tanzania and Malawi.

Source: UN Women Africa

Photo source: Kim Nowacki