BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Women from Hwange have urged the media to document women’s success stories to inspire others to aim higher in their endeavors.
The women made the call during a roundtable discussion held in Victoria Falls on November 27 under the theme ‘Reflect Reality’, which was organised by the Cultural Information Trust (CIT).
Female professionals from various fields in the region, including media practitioners, took part in the discussion where they shared ideas on how to relate to each other.
Twenty four participants drawn from the local government leadership, civil society, education, media, and higher schools agreed that the coverage of women in the district by the media was poor.
“We have so many women that are into great developmental projects and humanitarian fields and they are not being profiled,” said Lesley Malinga.
“In fact, we often see stories about women whenever there is a negative issue about them.
“So, we would like to challenge journalists to try and report on such women that are changing in their communities.”
Participants also encouraged women to share their success stories with the media.
Journalists called for freedom of expression in their work areas as well as protection of sources as some have been arrested and tortured for sharing stories.
Buhle Nkomo from CIT, who facilitated the discussion, said they were trying to empower women so that they can become authoritative sources of news.