Give women equal media coverage - Consultant

MEDIA Consultant Herbert Macha has urged Journalists in the country to enhance media coverage of women in the country and female elected leaders in particular.

Mr Macha said women in the country have had a challenge of media coverage because they were most of the time projected in the negative light.

He was speaking at a training workshop organized by the Zambia National Women's Lobby in Kitwe during a presentation.

Mr Macha said journalists should not just concentrate on covering the negative side of women but also the positive aspects because the womenfolk were equally scoring significantly in many aspects.

He said in most instances women were demeaned because journalists concentrated on the marital status or how females dress unlike what they do towards development.

Mr Macha said media must not be sexist in their coverage because positive coverage of females would enhance participation of women in decision making-positions.

He said a research by PANOS shows that only 13.6 percent of women received positive media coverage in comparison to 86 percent for men.

Mr Macha said journalists must do a lot more in terms of coverage so as to build confidence in the women and build working relationships with elected female leaders.

He said female leaders were timid of the media because they were always covered in the negative. ZNWL Project Coordinator Irene Muketa said media must build capacity of elected female leaders so that they were able to perform better.

Ms Muketa said the empowering women in politics for enhanced leadership and participation in decision making processes project was targeting elected female leader in 42 districts.

She said the project and media coverage of female leaders would contribute towards ensuring that legal and policy framework on gender.