The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), has concluded a three-day training on media safety and security and basic reporting skills for 25 Somali female journalists based in Mogadishu.
The training organised by the ATMIS Public Information Unit in collaboration with the Somali Women Journalists Rights Association (SOWJRA), was attended by women journalists working in broadcast and online news outlets in Mogadishu.
The participants were trained in various areas including safety and security in conflict zones, media ethics, news gathering, news writing, interviewing skills, photography and videography, and coverage of gender based violence.
The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia and Head of ATMIS, Ambassador Mohamed El-Amine Souef, officiated at the opening and closing ceremonies.
Ambassador Souef pledged that ATMIS will support more training opportunities aimed at empowering and ensuring the professional growth of Somali women journalists.
“You are not working alone. We are with you and we will support you. We will ensure we give you more training opportunities to improve your knowledge and skills,†said Ambassador Souef, while speaking at the conclusion of the training.
The SRCC praised women journalists in Somalia for their resilience in discharging their duty despite the challenging operating environment. He urged them to support the ongoing initiatives by the Federal Government to restore peace and stability and highlight the tourism and investment opportunities in Somalia which are key to the country’s post-conflict recovery.
In her remarks the chairperson of SOWJRA, Leila Amina Osman pointed out the gender imbalance in newsrooms where female journalists remain marginalised compared to their male counterparts.
“This was a very important training which is relevant to the work the female journalists do back at their stations. It has opened up their scope of knowledge and given them confidence, as a union will strive to ensure that they put into practice what they learnt. “ said Leila Osman.
The participants commended the skills and knowledge acquired from the training which will help to improve the quality of news gathering and reporting. Additionally, the training also provided an opportunity for women journalists to network and pledge to share experiences.
“We are grateful to be able to attend a training specifically designed for women journalists. We have learned the importance of factual reporting and have had the opportunity to network among professional colleagues.†noted Amina Ibrahim Abdirahman, one of the participants at the training.
