By Abdulkareem Haruna

The Borno State Commissioner of Women Affairs, Hon Zuwaira Gambo, has on Tuesday, Oct. 21, challenged local journalists to significantly elevate and broaden their coverage of gender issues, demanding a focus toward reports that actively “promote the status of women” and contribute to their long-term empowerment.

The call came yesterday at the opening of a four-day training workshop titled, “Supporting the Capacity for Positive Gender Reporting by Media Personnel on Gender Responsive and Inclusive Governance in Borno State,” which was held in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. The initiative is jointly organized by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Development Research and Projects Center (dRPC), with co-funding from the European Union.

Speaking on behalf of the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Falmata Omar Lawan, the Director of Women Affairs, delivered a clear message to the attending media practitioners, stressing that media coverage must move beyond simply documenting women’s challenges to crafting reports that “will uplift the women in all spheres of endeavor.”

The Director emphasized that for lasting societal progress to take hold, journalists must utilize their platforms to highlight women’s contributions and advocate for policies that ensure their inclusion in governance and development. She expressed a strong hope that the training would result in an “improved reportage” of women’s issues in the state.

Mrs Lawan specifically lauded the dRPC and GIZ for integrating a robust media strategy into their  work—a step she noted is often overlooked by many development partners.

“Not all organizations promoting the cause of women usually bring in the media components, which is highly commendable and should be sustained,” she stated.

She concluded by urging participants to be attentive and fully utilize the training to become agents of positive change in the narrative surrounding Borno’s women.