Journalists commit to eliminate sexual harassment in media across Central Africa.

The three-day workshop, organised by the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa, UNOCA, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO.

Held in Douala, the workshop brought together journalists from countries such as Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, The Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, and Sao Tome and Principe. 

The journalists discussed on the central theme: "Medla Professionals and the Responsibility to Promote Gender Equality, Peace and Democracy in Central Africa". 

The initiative by organisers to choose Douala as a meeting place was significant, as it demonstrated the commitment of the city and Cameroon in general to promoting inclusive and representative media. 

The main objective of the workshop was to promote women’s skills and highlight their essential role in a fair and responsible press.

After a three-day working session, the closing ceremony saw the participants adopting a declaration to curb sexual harassment, noting that the phenomenon is a form of Gender-Based Violence that is rampant in about 96% of media houses across Central Africa.

The declaration stated that sexual harassment is a human rights abuse which affects the self-esteem, confidence and professional commitment of about 80% of women in media

It added that sexual harassment affects the performance of women media professionals, thereby the overall output of media enterprises and is downplayed and remains underreported by media.

Results from a Women in News research study on the subject indicates that on average, 41% of women journalists have experienced verbal or physical sexual harassment in the workplace.

Yet only one in five reported the incident. On average 30% of journalists experienced verbal and/or physical harassment.

The international Women in Media Organisation, describes sexual harassment as unwanted and offensive behaviour of a sexual nature that violates a person’s dignity and makes them feel humiliated and intimidated. 

"It is not all about sex though it might eventually come into play, but it’s more of power in the workplace, especially if we have the quid pro quo where employment opportunities are being dangled and you are being asked to give in to sex for favours," it said. 

It was against this backdrop that the consortium of journalists who met in Douala under the banner of the UN decided to deploy strategies to annihilate the phenomenon. 

The strategies included, to build a synergy to curb and eliminate sexual harassment in media across central Africa; advocate the setting up of gender desks in media houses that will monitor, register and report indicators and cases of sexual harassment.

Other strategies include to draw up a referral pathway chart that will help in the identification of signs of sexual harassment, prevent, report and sanction cases of sexual harassment in and on media, lobby in respective countries for the enactment of laws that should sanction sexual harassment as a form of Gender-Based Violence, which impedes on the human rights of women in general and media women in particular.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3205 of Wednesday August 21, 2024