NGO Calls on Media to Hold Gov’t Accountable for Exclusion of Women, PWD in Decision Making

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAI), has called on the media to hold the government accountable in decision-making process, women and People with Disabilities (PWD). 

The Executive Director of GSAI, Adaora Sydney-Jack, made the call at an inclusive investigation training on accountability in governance for reporters and editors in Abuja.

The training was organised under the auspices of Gender Accountability and Inclusivity in Nigeria Project, implemented by GSAI and funded by Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).

Sydney-Jack said journalists must be deliberate about inclusive reportage to shift the narrative and cultivate a culture that values and celebrates inclusion and accountability.

She said: “The media is the partner for democracy and for democracy to thrive; we must have an inclusive society. It is not just the inclusion of women but also the inclusion of PWDs. Right now, I can tell you that there is limited space for women and PWDs from appointments and palliative distributions, among others.

“Journalists must be deliberate about inclusive reportage and must hold the government accountable for lack of inclusion of these classifications of people. It is our duty to begin to ask the questions that matter.

“The burden bearers of insecurity are women. In terms of meditation, reconciliation and intelligence gatherings, women should be part of that dialogue.”

The Programme Officer, Gender at Inclusive Friends Association, Susan Ihuoma, on her part, said women with disabilities face unique challenges due to the double discrimination they often experience based on both gender and disability, adding that: “Disability inclusion and legal protection is essential to address the challenges.”

The Chairman, Abuja Congress of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Osaretin Osadebamwen, also tasked the media to call the government’s attention to issues/policies concerning women and the PWDs that need to be dismantled or improved on.