AFRICAN COURT KEEN ON MEDIA DEVELOPMENT IN MEDIA

BY GRACE MACHA IN ARUSHA

The African Court on Human and People's Rights (AfCHPR) says it will push for gender equality in the media.

The continental judicial organ based in Arusha regretted that the top editorial positions in the local media were not gender-responsive.

 "Women should get higher posts because they have capability as their male counterparts", said AfCHPR President Judge Imani Daud Aboud.

She made the appeal in Arusha recently at the end of a training of women journalists, an exercise organized by the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT).

Lady Justice Aboud, a former Judge of the High Court of Tanzania, said a survey carried out by MCT in 2019 revealed some gaps on women in the media leadership.

Many top positions were dominated by men although there were equally qualified women suitable for such posts or responsibilities.

She prayed that the training  had enabled some participants to grasp the needed leadership skills in their respective media houses.

She, however, implored them to undertake their editorial and other responsibilities professionally and diligently for better output.

"There is no need to fear the dominance of men in key media positions. We can overcome this by working hard without despair", she pointed out.

MCT executive director Kajubi Mukajanga said the training has been conducted within the capacity building programme for women journalists.

Already, according to him,128 of them have been trained on leadership responsibilities in the media institutions until this month.

When she was speaking here during the International Women's Day early this year, Judge Aboud said AfCHPR will agitate for the rights and economic empowerment of women.

She said time has come for the African women to be 'liberated' from all forms of gender discrimination and to be empowered economically.

"Discrimination starts with the girl child on to the young ladies and to women in general; be they in business or other undertakings", she said.

Ms Aboud largely attributed poverty impacting  African women to denial of education, ownership of property and marginalization from a tender age.

She said the African Human Rights protocols were explicit on the rights of women for their role in development and family upbringing.