The CEO Women Radio, a non-governmental organization, Toun Okewale Sonaiya, has lamented that female politicians and leaders are not given the adequate media coverage as their male counterparts.
This was part of the submission at a two-day media training for political reporters organized by the Women Radio with support from United Nations Women and the Government of Canada held in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, Thursday.
She therefore called for adequate and accurate publicity for women even at the instance of gender discrimination, religious bigotry, cultural and traditional factors among other factors militating against them in the society.
According to Sonaiya who spoke on “The 50:50 Strategy: An Inclusive, Responsive and Balanced Reporting ” highlighted the importance of fair and balanced reportage of women in politics especially as we draw nearer to the 2023 elections.
She said: “the media remains a powerful tool in shaping public perception and has a bigger role in emphasising gender-based political issues and as such participation of women in politics through the media should be an integral part of editorials and features.”
Sonaiya further emphasised on the need for the powerful Nigerian media to “embrace and practice gender equity and social inclusion for a sustainable media environment”.
Participants include journalists with disabilities from print, radio, television and digital media.
In his lecture, a media expert and CEO of MODISULT Media Concept, Mallam Abdulazeez Arowona, noted that women are key players in the society either as mothers, wives and daughters in the homes.
