As the world prepares to mark International Women’s Day on March 8, Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on media stakeholders to take immediate and deliberate steps to empower female journalists by ensuring their inclusion in newsroom leadership, editorial decision-making, and other influential roles within the media sector.
In a statement issued today, MRA’s Programme Officer, Ms. Ayomide Eweje, emphasized the critical need to create safe and enabling environments where female journalists can thrive without fear of harassment, discrimination, or violence.
She highlighted the numerous challenges confronting women in the media industry, including gender inequality, safety concerns, and limited leadership opportunities, despite their significant contributions to informing and educating the public while holding those in power accountable.
“Despite their critical role in strengthening democracy and amplifying marginalized voices, female journalists in Nigeria continue to face threats, harassment, and violence, both online and offline,” Ms. Eweje stated.
She stressed that a collaborative effort involving media houses, civil society organizations, government agencies, and the public is essential to ensuring the safety and well-being of women in journalism.
Ms. Eweje pointed out that female journalists play an indispensable role in fostering a more diverse and inclusive media landscape.
However, the increasing incidents of cyberbullying, intimidation, harassment, and other forms of attacks against women in the media highlight the urgent need for stronger legal protections, institutional safeguards, and collective action to end impunity for such acts, many of which are criminal offenses that often go unpunished.
She outlined a multi-faceted approach to ensuring the safety and empowerment of female journalists in Nigeria, which includes:
Enforcing existing laws that protect journalists and adopting gender-sensitive policies to combat violence against female media professionals.
Providing cybersecurity training to help female journalists defend themselves against online threats.
Ending impunity for crimes against journalists by ensuring swift investigation and prosecution of perpetrators.
Implementing initiatives to promote the inclusion of women in leadership positions within the media industry.
“We must challenge systemic biases that limit the growth of female journalists and create environments where they can thrive without fear of harassment, discrimination, or violence,” Ms. Eweje asserted.
She urged media organizations and professional bodies to commit to gender-inclusive policies, establish mechanisms for swift action when female journalists face threats, and ensure equal opportunities for women to lead and shape the profession.
Ms. Eweje emphasized that a free and safe press is fundamental to a thriving democracy and that achieving true media freedom in Nigeria requires amplifying the voices of women in positions of authority and influence.
She reaffirmed MRA’s commitment to advocating for a media landscape where female journalists can work without fear, censorship, or violence, stressing that their protection is crucial in the broader fight for gender equality and press freedom in Nigeria.
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