The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), in partnership with the French media development agency Canal France International (CFI), has taken a significant step towards promoting gender equality in the media landscape of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

The initiative, “Equal Voices,” has trained 32 female journalists, including freelancers, to enhance their skills and leadership capacities, empowering them to pursue professional aspirations and career goals.

This training, part of a broader effort to combat gender inequalities and stereotypes, is designed to promote women's representation at all levels of responsibility within the media industry.

The program’s impact is already visible, fostering a more balanced and inclusive representation of women and their concerns in the media.

Strengthening Skills and Leadership

During the opening of the training session in Ghana, Abigail Larbi, MFWA’s Programme Director for Media and Good Governance, highlighted the importance of such initiatives. “When we continue to discuss issues confronting gender inequality and we’re emboldened to speak up, we get empowered as women,” she said. “We need to take up positions and be at the top with the men. There’s more than enough room for both women and men.”

The training sessions provided participants with a comprehensive understanding of gender and women’s rights, equipping them with the knowledge to advocate for and develop organizational policies that foster women's representation as agents of change.

Practical story development sessions allowed the female journalists to produce and publish more gender-sensitive reports, contributing to a more balanced media landscape.

Voices from the Field

Christiana Anyang-Mintah from Garden City Radio shared her positive experience.

“This workshop has been very enlightening. I have come to be more self-aware. I’m also taking away lessons on how to better work with people within my professional environment as well as external characters who may influence my work in one way or another. My output on gender-sensitive reports will be more than I was producing prior to participating in this training.”

Leadership Journeys and Challenges

Seasoned media managers and news editors shared their leadership journeys and challenges, discussing topics such as conflict management, supervisor-subordinate relationships, male competition, public speaking, and managing an online presence.

These discussions provided valuable insights and guidance for the participants, inspiring them to aim higher in their careers.

Transforming Media Organizations

The Equal Voices project has also extended its reach to media organizations.

Eight media organizations—four each in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana—were competitively selected as beneficiaries.

Media managers from these organizations participated in coaching and mentorship sessions, training them to institute gender-sensitive policies in their newsrooms.

Mambo Marietou, Media Manager for Radio Soliel CI+ in Côte d’Ivoire, shared how the project has impacted her organization.

 “We have set up a gender-focused show and introduced a program for young girls called ‘Entre Nous Filles’ (Between Us Girls). We have also revised the content of the already existing women’s program, ‘Entre Nous Femmes’ (Between Us Women). To promote gender balance in the newsroom, we have recruited a young female host who will soon start hosting our new show, ‘Planète Soleil,’ where we’ll discuss a range of topics. We’re also developing a gender policy.”

In Ghana, the Head of Programs at Radio Justice, Yunus Mumuni, spoke about the changes at his station.

 “Aside from the eye-opening training for our staff, the peer-to-peer coaching sessions for media managers have helped us to put in place a number of initiatives. We have designed a new show called Agenda 30%, hosted by one of our reporters who is a beneficiary of the gender-sensitive reporting training, and it features discussions on female representation in governance, especially towards Ghana’s 2024 elections. We also now have a female journalist hosting The Super Morning Show on Thursdays; previously, the show was hosted only by men.”

William Jalulah, General Manager for A1 Radio in Ghana, added, “As a result of the enhanced capacity received under the Equal Voices project, we have created a new show called ‘Equal Voices,’ hosted by Humu-Khrusum Tahiru, one of the project training beneficiaries. I’m also putting things in place to set up a gender desk in the newsroom where gender-related stories will be reported and produced.”

The Path Forward

So far, 40 journalists both male and female have benefited from the gender-sensitive and women empowerment training under the Equal Voices project, receiving mentoring and coaching to produce and publish more gender-sensitive reports.

This initiative represents a significant step towards a more inclusive and balanced media landscape in West Africa, where the voices of women are heard and respected.

The Media Foundation for West Africa and Canal France International’s collaborative efforts are not just empowering female journalists, they are paving the way for a new era of gender equality in the media, ensuring that the stories and perspectives of women are given the prominence they deserve.