MEDIA experts are appealing for gender inclusion in election reporting as vital for the media to realize its role to advocate for free and fair elections as essential to democracy.

Dr. Joyce Bazira, the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) communication consultant and Tanzania coach for the ‘Women In the News’ programme said in an exclusive interview lately that capacity building programmes can empower journalists to do well balanced reporting for elections.

“Training programmes are important at this time as we have realised that there are many issues that are overlooked,” she said, pointing at results of thorough evaluations which show that many groups are not included in the news.

Women are the first group who get little coverage as news sources compared to men, she said, underlining that if a woman contests for a top leadership position, she is not given comparable news coverage.

“And if she is interviewed, the female candidate is often asked questions that do not benefit her but make her feel discriminated against,” the consultant noted, pointing at insufficient knowledge in gender sensitive reportage, inadequate resources and poor financial capacities of media houses.

Insufficient awareness on gender equality, diversity and inclusion plays a part, thus WAN-IFRA runs empowerment programmes to equip journalists with the understanding that they have to include other groups in the society.

This way the groups will be properly represented rather than media indifference helping to exclude them, she said, focusing on training to empower journalists’ capability to ask serious questions to candidates on how they view special groups and how they can help them once they are elected into office.

Jane Godia, the WAN-IFRA deputy executive director, said the NGO believes in an independent media where equality, equity and inclusion is portrayed.

 “It is during election periods where we see a lot of discrimination against women, persons with disabilities, and young people,” she said, emphasizing that WAN-IFRA wishes to see diversity, inclusion and equality. 

“This is what we stress these qualities as we have seen what many countries in Africa have experienced in elections.”

On his part, Ndimara Tegambwage, a veteran journalist and mentor in various training sessions, said journalists need to maintain the basics of news coverage during election period.

Reporters should bear the responsibility and use skills to ask the right questions to get the right information. ”More awareness and skills have to be imparted to journalists to make them effective reporters and provide them with the necessary support to strengthen their capacity,’ he added.