The UN Environment Programme, has urged women in media to participate fully in environmetal reporting to address environmetal challenges for the achievement of sustainable development goals.
A statement by Mr. Mohamed Atani, the Head of Communication and Outreach for Africa in UN Environment Programme, said this in Abuja.
The statement stated that the UN Environment Programme signed an agreement with the African Women in Media (AWiM), to roll out African Environment Journalism programme.
“The project is underpinned by the African Green Stimulus Programme, a new continental platform to support Africa recover sustainably from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Atani said journalists and content producers would pitch environmental stories focused on Africa, would be commissioned to produce stories and have access to training.
According to him, engaging African media to report on the environmental challenges and opportunities in the continent in the context of supporting the implementation of the African Green Stimulus Programme is crucial.
“It will help to move the African environmental agenda forward for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
“The role of African women journalists is of paramount importance to UNEP. We are pleased to be partnering with AWiM on this innovative and exciting initiative.
“I call upon African Women in the media to make reporting on the environment a priority,” Atani added.
He said given the global conversations around the environment, “this is a timely and vital project that ensures women’s voices on environmental challenges in Africa are heard.”
He said that the initial pilot phase would run for six months.
“We are at a critical period in our understanding and attempts to tackle important environmental issues globally.
“The voices of African women must not be missing in that global narrative, especially in the solutions and approaches to tackling these issues,” he said.
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Also, the statement quoted Dr. Yemisi Akinbobola, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, AWiM as saying that the organisation appreciated the effort of the UNEP for supporting the women journalists for effective reporting of environmetal issues.
“We are pleased that UNEP is supporting women journalists and prioritising the reporting on how environmental issues impact African women through this programme.”
She said the project aimed to highlight the some of the elements of the African Green Stimulus Programme which include, improving air quality, enhancing chemicals and waste management and promoting the circular economy.
Others are enhancing the conservation of biodiversity and combatting the Illegal wildlife trade, revitalising eco-tourism and the biodiversity economy and combating land degradation, desertification and drought.
She said that the partnership would allow selected media organisations to co-publish the commissioned stories. (NAN)
