Group Raises Alarm Over Women Increasing Poverty Level In The Country

OGBONNA IWUAGWU

A Non Governmental  Organization “Media and Gender Enlightenment  Initiative” (MEGEIN) with a vision  to remain a leading organ for the pursuit of gender sensitivity  and gender  balanced reporting in the country has raised the alarm at the rising poverty condition and suffering  of women  in the country.

The Organization, which has the motto “Watching the Watch Dog”, with support funding by the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) is worried that despite government’s huge commitments at alleviating the woes of the women, their pathetic stories had remarried the same.

Nkem Fab-Ukozor, Executive Director of the Organization, noted that  the situation is all the  more worrisome, considering  the fact that the majority of the women in the rural  areas have great potentials  in Agriculture  and trade but are still languishing and are being denied  access to land ownership  and credit facilities.

Fab-Ukozor, who is a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Imo State University, stated this at the opening  ceremony of a 2-day workshop on “ Gender  Reporting Skills for Land Rights and Agricultural Development issues in Nigeria” held in Owerri the Imo State capital.

“It could be recalled that Nigeria since 2000 had ratified and adopted a National  policy document on women  thereby demonstrating its support for the alleviation of the numerous constraints to women’s  full integration into its development process.

Regrettably, women make up the workforce in agriculture and produce over 70% of the nation’s food supply, yet their situation remains deplorable”.

She further regretted that, media coverage in Nigeria showcase blatant stereotype and discrimination against  women instead of follow up reports on the aforementioned programme which according to her should address  deep seated socio  cultural practices that have placed obstacles to the realization  of the nation’s  set goals  in women  economic  empowerment which agricultural development is part of .

The don explained that MEGEIN came on board to continuously monitor  the extent of gender sensitivity by the nation’s mass media, inculcate deep understanding and appreciation of the principles of gender perspective reporting in the nation’s journalism and to ensure that they put same into practice while reporting  gender related  issues, to help build a gender sensitive  mass  media in the country as well as  to encourage female journalists  in the country  to develop superior  skills that would enable them to play major  role in media relations and practice.

Fab Ukozor commended the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development (FMWA & SA) for its ongoing programmes aimed at improving the living conditions of the Women by addressing key issues  ranging from access to land, social  insurance,  varying forms of finance and related support access to market their goods, business trading, infrastructure and technology including access to policy makers and a supportive policy environment.