Female Journalists Sharpen Skills on Reporting in Hostile Environments

Female Journalists Sharpen Skills

A work on hostile environment reporting for female journalists in Cameroon has wrapped up in Yaounde. Organised by SisterSpeak 237 with the support of the Urgent Action Fund+Africa, the three-day training which began Thursday brought together some 25 female journalists drawn from across the troubled North West and South West regions.

                For three days, the women have actively been involved in reporting on the Anglophone crisis were trained on how to do their job in hostile environments.

                The Coordinator of Sisterspeak 237,  Comfort Mussa said at the start of the training that  the get-together aimed at training female journalists on conflict reporting mindful of the socio-political crisis rocking the two English-speaking regions of the country.

                “We want to empower women on the skills of reporting in times of conflicts,” Commy Mussa told newsmen Thursday.

                 “We took special interest in organising the workshop so as to empower women and prove to them that they can do the same work that men do without fear or favour,” said Cynthia Wanchia, the project lead of Sister Speak 23.

                In the meantime, Sisterspeak237, it should be said is a blog born out of a desire to bring to an open space engaging discussions about women’s issues in Cameroon and Africa.

                “I believe that communication is at the heart of social change and development. I am blessed to have witnessed some of the most amazing changes and development recorded in the journey of empowering women in Africa.  We’ve come a long way!! I am blessed to be born in the generation that witnessed the first female president in Africa; today more women and girls are enrolled in school than yesterday, and women are moving beyond kitchen and bedroom walls to boardrooms, flying airplanes and just reaching for the stars” said Commy Mussa, founder of the platform.

                She says Sisterspeak237 has a mandate to tell underreported stories,  facilitate reignite debates and discussions on issues affecting women in Cameroon, break the silence on taboo subjects and most importantly, contribute to sustainable development .