In a bid to strengthen media advocacy for gender-inclusive governance, ARDA Development Communication Inc. has hosted a one-day media capacity-building training in Cross River State under the Advance: Women Political Participation in Nigeria (AWPP) Project. The training took place on Thursday in Calabar.
According to Florence Oluohu the Editor-in-Chief of Chronicle Newspapers, the initiative sought to equip journalists with skills to report on women’s political participation, combat gender-based violence in politics, and drive narratives that promote gender equity in governance. A core focus of the training was on Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWP)—a phenomenon that significantly undermines women’s involvement in leadership.
According to the presentation titled Violence Against Women in Politics and Governance, VAWP manifests in various forms, including physical assault, psychological harassment, sexual violence, economic discrimination, and cyber-based abuse. The document highlights that these acts of violence not only “undermine the capacity and capability of women” but also “threaten the quality of democratic participation”, reinforcing gender inequality in governance.
Oluohu in her presentation further stressed that VAWP is deeply rooted in patriarchy, driven by family members, harmful traditional practices, male political counterparts, state actors, security agencies, and even the media. She warned that if unaddressed, “its inherent threat to the democratic system will expand to negatively affect individuals, governance, sustainable development, and society at large.”
The training also spotlighted solutions such as electoral law reforms, legal assistance, and media advocacy as tools to combat VAWP. Oladapo Kadiri, ARDA’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEAL) Officer, emphasized the media’s crucial role in “shaping public perception and influencing policies that create a safe and enabling environment for women in politics.”
With Nigeria striving to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on gender equality and political representation, the training expected to empower media professionals to drive narratives that challenge systemic barriers and support women’s increased participation in governance.
