Changing the Narrative of African Women Media Training in Tanzania

Date: Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Graca Machel speaking at the conference |Photo: UN Women, Deepika Nath 

UN Women hosted an Africa wide media training in Dar es Salaam as part of the UN Women project African Women Changing the Narrative project. The project aims at highlighting the contribution by African women to development through their leadership capacities and their central role in the design of innovative approaches to development. 

Participant receiving certificate of participation |Photo: UN Women, Deepika Nath

The event was held alongside the Graca Machel Trust Sponsored Pan-African Forum, Women Advancing Africa and is aimed at increasing positive news on women in African media. Tracks covered included Extractive industries, Financial Inclusion, Agribusiness, Services and Trade and Tech and innovation.

The participants were urged to demand legal and policy change in all countries to ensure there is 50:50 representation of women in the media; raise the cost of media ‘foolishness’ by developing tools for all consumers to raise the alarm any time the media reports in a gender-biased or discriminatory manner; develop a list of qualified women editors who can promote gender equality in their newsrooms; and to develop a mentorship program for all young journalists to ensure they are made aware of gender-responsive reporting.