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Editors discuss coverage of women candidates
2005-09-17 07:23:46
By Guardian Reporter
About 40 editors from both electronic and print media meet in Dar es Salaam today to discuss, among other things, how the media has been covering women since the campaigns for the general election started on August 21.
The meeting organised by the Tanzania Media Women Association (TAMWA) will be held at the Peacock Hotel, according to a statement issued yesterday.
During the meeting, the editors will strategise on how best the media in the country can improve coverage of women who are vying for councillor, parliamentary and presidential post.
The statement said TAMWA believed the media had a role to play during the campaign period to give equal coverage of women and men contestants so that the voters are able to make an informed decision come election-day October 30.
We can not achieve the objective of having equal number of men and women in parliament or even the minimum 30 per cent unless the media make an extra effort to ensure women contestants get equal space in the media like their fellow men contestants.
’We also believe it is through media coverage on women from all political parties who are vying for the posts, the public will be able to identify capable candidates both men and women,’ the statement read in part.
The statement said by leaving behind women contestants, the public would remain uninformed as a result the majority of them will lose votes.
’If this happens, it will be a shame to our nation because the government has signed different instruments that emphasises on the need to increase the number of women in decision making,’ the statement said.
They include the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Declaration that requires all member states to have at least 30 per cent women in decision making by 2005 and the Africa Union (AU) resolution which requires African countries to have fifty per cent women in all decision making organs.
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