Group tasks journalists on ethical GBV reporting, need to amplify survivor voices

 

By Okechukwu Onuegbu 

 

The Gender Perspective and Social Development Centre (GPSDC), in partnership with WomenAid Collective (WACOL), has intensified efforts to strengthen the role of the media in combating Gender-Based Violence (GBV) by equipping journalists with the skills needed for ethical and survivor-centered reporting.

 This commitment was demonstrated during a one-day intensive training held in Nibo, Awka South LGA, which brought together more than 30 journalists from print, broadcast, and online media platforms across Anambra State.

The workshop formed part of the broader project, “Empowering Christian Women and Women Leaders of Culture for Prevention and Response to GBV in Nigeria Through the Strengthening of Grassroots Organisations,” a community-centred intervention designed to address the increasing cases of GBV nationwide.

In his welcome address, Christian Madubueze described GBV as a “growing epidemic” that disproportionately affects women and children. He emphasized that journalists must adopt a proactive role in shaping public discourse and influencing community response. “The media has an undeniable responsibility to spotlight the realities of GBV and hold society accountable for protecting vulnerable groups,” he said.

One of the keynote presenters and Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra State Council, Dr. Emeka Odogwu, delivered a compelling session titled “Media as an Advocate – Using Reporting to Drive Social Change.” He stressed that journalists are more than narrators of events, they are protectors, watchdogs, and powerful agents of transformation.

According to Dr. Odogwu, ethical and intentional reporting has the potential to save lives, restore dignity, and increase accountability. “Silence protects abusers. Stories protect survivors,” he declared, urging reporters to go beyond surface-level reporting and engage in storytelling that inspires healing and justice. He commended GPSDC and WACOL for empowering journalists alongside Christian women and cultural leaders as part of a grassroots strategy to combat GBV.

Dr. Odogwu’s second lecture focused on content development and media strategies for amplifying survivor voices. He explained that ethically shaping survivor narratives could influence policy, strengthen judicial processes, and create empathy-driven community action. “Digital platforms offer tremendous visibility but also significant risk,” he warned, advising journalists to use hashtags responsibly, safeguard identities, and moderate online conversations to prevent secondary victimization.

He concluded by reminding journalists of the moral weight of their work: “Use your pen, camera, and microphone as tools of protection. Ethical storytelling is more than journalism—it is advocacy.”

A second major presentation came from communication scholar and lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Dr. Julius Chukwubike Nwosu. His session examined the legal, ethical, and professional dynamics of GBV reporting. Dr. Nwosu outlined the four major forms of GBV, sexual, physical, emotional/psychological, and economic, and stressed that ignorance of the law is not an excuse in sensitive reporting.

He urged journalists to familiarize themselves with key legal frameworks such as Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2015. “There are forms of reporting that inadvertently expose survivors to further harm. Consent, anonymity, cultural sensitivity, these are non-negotiable,” he said. He cautioned journalists against common pitfalls including victim-blaming, sensationalism, biased language, and harmful stereotypes. “Careless reporting can lead to legal liability, emotional damage to survivors, and loss of public trust,” he added.

Dr. Nwosu further highlighted the transformative power of the media in reshaping social consciousness. He emphasized that through investigative journalism, human-interest stories, and survivor-led content, journalists can challenge harmful norms and help communities confront the root causes of violence.

Earlier declaring the workshop open, Executive Director of GPSDC, Eucharia Anekwe, said the training sought to deepen media capacity for accurate, sensitive, and responsible GBV reportage. She stressed that collaboration between NGOs and journalists is essential in building a safer and more gender-responsive state.

The Programme Manager of GPSDC, Oge Ozoemena, added that the initiative forms part of a larger effort targeted at empowering Christian women and cultural leaders to strengthen community response mechanisms to GBV. She urged journalists to apply the knowledge gained to improve story quality, adopt survivor-centered language, and promote positive social change.

The workshop included practical group exercises where journalists developed survivor-centered storylines, crafted responsible awareness campaigns, and mapped out strategies for safe content dissemination. Participants expressed appreciation for the training and called for longer, more extensive sessions in future to further explore GBV complexities and reporting challenges.

Overall, the event reinforced the indispensable role of the media in amplifying survivor voices, promoting justice, and driving sustained advocacy against gender-based violence in Nigeria.