UN Women Zimbabwe and partners champion Gender-Sensitive Reporting in media

Recognizing the potential of the media to contribute to the advancement of women, UN Women in collaboration with Gender and Media Connect (GMC) and the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) convened a media workshop in Harare on July 30,  2024.

The workshop convened in preparation for the Beijing Declaration+30 in 2025, as an effort to re-engage the media,  was attended by 65 journalists with over ¾ female journalists from various media houses in Zimbabwe. The media significantly contributes to promoting gender equality and empowering women, particularly through shaping the gender discourse and dismantling gender stereotypes in reporting.

Media practitioners representing print, digital and online media engaged in interactive sessions at the workshop, exchanging strategic ideas and best practices in reporting on gender issues and promoting women’s voices in the media. The workshop also aimed to assess the media’s progress in gender-sensitive reporting, and to equip journalists with the resources and knowledge needed to challenge stereotypes and biases and ensure fair and comprehensive news coverage.

Sefalani Tsiko, a journalist of senior standing at The Herald, a prominent Zimbabwean newspaper, expressed appreciation for the training that refreshed his understanding of new and emerging topics in gender-sensitive reporting and the utilization of AI to empower women and girls.

Fatima Bulla, a Senior Reporter for Sunday Mail, also emphasized and recognized the continual efforts of UN Women to involve and raise awareness among the media about gender-responsive reporting on all media platforms. She also highlighted UN Women’s initiatives to evaluate media coverage since the adoption and endorsement of the Beijing Platform of Action and other legal frameworks supporting gender equality.

UN Women collaborates with the media to promote gender equality and ensure equitable representation of women in media. Before the 2023 Zimbabwe Harmonised Elections, media professionals received training on reporting women's participation in politics and elections, leadership, and decision-making in a balanced manner, aiming to improve inclusivity in election coverage. 

During the workshop, Ms Tinashe Sande, UN Women Zimbabwe’s Gender Mainstreaming and Coordination Specialist emphasised the vital role of the media in advancing advocacy for gender equality and the empowerment of women in Zimbabwe.

“The low representation of women in politics, decision making and leadership perpetuates gender inequalities and biases. UN Women continues to recognise the potential the media has in changing the status quo, therefore continues to engage the media in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment”, she said.

This media workshop followed the earlier training, assessing the progress or regression and exploring ways to effectively move forward. It also operated as a forum for journalists to share knowledge and exchange best practices. UN Women leveraged on this gathering to connect and establish relations with different media organizations in Zimbabwe as a way to foster a long-lasting partnership with the media, especially in raising awareness, and advocacy to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women in Zimbabwe.