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By Akpan David, Calabar
Spotlight Initiative are conducting training for Media practitioners, especially active journalists on how to focus on gender-based violence and ethical reporting.
They believe that reportages on the issues of Gender-Based Violence against women and the girl children in Nigerian societies as well as ethical reporting were low.
Both and some other supporting groups are conducting a 3-day workshop in Calabar, capital of Cross River State for Journalists on ethical, media advocacy and solution journalism at Channelview hotel.
They maintained that there is high prevalence of violence against children and women in the country which needs to be looked at seriously.
The coordinator, Khalijah Ibrahim Nuhu of Spotlight Initiative who listed out the objectives of the training stressed the need for Journalists to bring to the fore the increasing domestic and societal violence against women, especially the gullible girl children, and also change the narratives.
She said their goals cannot be achieved without the continual and active support from the media.
One of the resource persons, Barrister James Ibor who is principal partner at Child Protection Network, said they have handled 2001 cases of violence against the children irrespective of gender
“Out of this, we have practically provided psycho-social, legal and educational supports to the victims.
“We also have surveillance and community members to report such violence against children”, he said.
He cautioned that in the Child Rights Act, corporal punishment of any sorts whether in schools or at home is prohibitive, and punishable by law.
Mrs Bassey Umoh of Girls Power Initiative said they have supported over 2000 girls in the state to have ‘second chance education’.
She said that they have involvement in 15 communities of the state.
“We offer basic and vocational skills at illiteracy class and post-illiteracy as well as non-traditional trades.
“We have attended to 634 girls within this period. You will agree that this statistics is far too less than reality.”