Maseru, Dec. 01 —
Lesotho News Agency (LENA) Director, Mrs. Moroa Mopeli says, the Media Parity Project spearheaded by French Media Development Agency – CFI and the Southern African Women’s Rights Organisation Gender Links is instrumental in giving a holistic approach towards gender.
The Director whose Agency is part of the partnership in that Media Parity Project focuses on training the media in Lesotho, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia indicated time has come for the media to understand their role in mainstreaming gender narratives if countries are to achieve Agenda 2030 in line with goal five on gender equality.
“Having LENA staff undergoing the trainingings will help them simplify complex gender issues for the society so that voices of all are included despite their different gender status, disability or socio economic status,” she said.
She alluded that the project now having combined both state and non-state media houses, making an example of BAM Group of companies is a testament to the importance of building collaborations that would help those in government to hone skills from the private ones and likewise.
Therefore, there is a long way to go especially in the modern days of technologies, requiring the media to not just disseminate gender information stories, but to bear in mind topics covered during the training sessions as articulated by CFI and gender links experts.
Meanwhile, this interview came at the time when LENA held its retreat to introspect bearing in mind gender issues and policies around it, also it came when the world is on 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence (GBV), calling all to take a stand and put a stop to it in line with this year’s theme ‘Unite, Invest and prevent GBV against women and girls’.
Moreover, the Lesotho Demographic Survey has shown that 44 percent of women and young girls aged 15 to 59 are violated while many survivors suffer in silence.
It is against this background that the government of Lesotho through support of UN and Vodacom Foundation supported by the Queen, ‘Masenate Mohato Seeiso has opened a safe place for Gender Based Violence (GBV) survivors titled Boiketlo Multipurpose Centre with the aim to give emotional and psychological rest to survivors.
Vodacom Lesotho representatives, Ms. ‘Mamoorosi Raditapole has declared their unwavering support to this initiative, citing the loss of one of their employees a few years ago who experienced GBV from her husband as an eye opener.
“I was working closely with the deceased, the fact that I could not be her by stander at the time as I was unaware of what was happening then, is not stopping me and colleagues to broaden our scope, hear voices of those who are being abused while also taking action to protect them and save more lives in return,” she stressed.
Currently, numerous efforts under 16 days are being made and CFI together with Gender Links through MPP urges the media to engage the society in debates continually and beyond the 16 Days campaign so that all enjoy safe space, at the workplaces, communities and across the world.
ENDS/AM/tl
