- The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on media stakeholders to take urgent steps to empower female journalists with prominent roles in newsrooms, editorial leadership, and decision-making positions within the media sector.
In a statement issued on Friday in Lagos, MRA also urged stakeholders to create an enabling environment where female journalists could thrive without fear of harassment, discrimination, or violence.
The statement, released ahead of the 2025 International Women’s Day on March 8, was signed by MRA’s Communications Manager, Mr. Idowu Adewale.
Quoting MRA’s Programme Officer, Ms. Ayomide Eweje, Adewale highlighted that female journalists continued to overcome multiple challenges, including gender inequality, safety concerns, and limited leadership opportunities, while making significant contributions to national development.
“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,” she said.
She called for collaborative effort between media houses, civil society organizations, government agencies, and the public to ensure the safety and well-being of female journalists.
According to her, women play important roles in projecting diversity of voices and opinions as well as fostering a more inclusive media landscape.
She said increasing incidents of intimidation, harassment, cyberbullying, and other forms of attacks against women in the media required urgent action for stronger legal protections, institutional safeguards, and collective action to combat the impunity
- of offenders.
Eweje said the safetyy of female journalists in Nigeria require a multi-faceted approach that addresses both physical and digital threats, as well as systemic barriers to their protection.”
She outlined key measures, including enforcing existing laws that protect journalists, adopting gender-sensitive policies to address violence against female journalists, and providing cybersecurity training to help them navigate online threats.
Other recommended actions included ending impunity for crimes against journalists through swift investigations and prosecutions of perpetrators, as well as implementing initiatives to enhance women’s representation in leadership roles 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.
“Media organizations and media professional bodies must commit to gender-inclusive policies, including those that address workplace harassment.
“Create mechanisms for swift action when female journalists are threatened, and ensure equal opportunities for women to lead and influence the profession,” she said.
Eweje stressed the need for media freedom essential to a thriving democracy and that such a free and fair media sector must reflect the voices of all, particularly women in positions of authority and influence.
She reaffirmed MRA’s commitment to advocating for a media space where female journalists could either work without fear, censorship, or violence. (NAN)
