The role of effective media strategies in addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) was the focus of the Agenda for Capacity Building workshop 2024 held in Abuja. Organized by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), the workshop aimed to enhance media reporting on GBV while prioritizing survivor sensitivity.
Survivor-Centered Reporting
Priye Diri, Programme Manager of the Dorothy Njemanze Foundation, emphasized the need for survivor-centered media strategies. She explained that reporting on GBV should humanize survivors and avoid causing further trauma.
“It’s not just about covering the issue. The media must capture the survivors’ processes and share their stories without re-traumatizing them,” Diri stated.
Humanizing Stories for Greater Impact
Amina Muhammad from the Connected Hands for Family Health and Empowerment Initiative highlighted the importance of humanizing GBV stories to create emotional connections.
“Stories must provoke emotions to drive awareness and action,” she said. “Specific humanized stories resonate more than abstract statistics.”
Understanding Gender-Based Violence
GBV includes harmful acts based on gender, such as physical, emotional, sexual, and psychological abuse. Common forms include domestic violence, trafficking, sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, and child marriage.
Though women and girls face the highest risks, GBV also affects men and boys, especially in cases of trafficking and sexual violence. The impact is severe, often leading to long-term harm for survivors.
Challenges in Combating GBV
Cultural norms and systemic inequalities perpetuate GBV in many societies. Survivors often remain silent due to stigma, lack of support, and fear of retribution. This highlights the urgent need for impactful media strategies that challenge harmful narratives and amplify survivor voices.
Conclusion
Effective media strategies can transform public perceptions of GBV and drive meaningful action. Ethical reporting, survivor-centered storytelling, and humanized narratives are essential to addressing this pervasive issue.
For more gender-focused insights and strategies, visit genderpedia.ng/shop.
