-Though number of media women increasing
“Women in the media here are not treated specially from their male colleagues, they together endured the unfortunate harshness which accompanies being a journalists in Liberia, the Union stressed,” the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has said.
In a statement to mark International Women’s Day on Thursday, the PUL said “daily, almost all women reporters performed their duties without basic transportation, necessary equipment and special environment which could cater for their specific needs in their respective newsrooms.”
The PUL however said there there are more females media practitioners in Liberia now than ever.
It said in the face of these challenges, the number of women in the media in Liberia has relatively double as compared with the last two years.
’These women must be helped in every respect to stay and become professionals, the Union emphasized,” the Liberian Journalist Union asserted.
In an article written sometime by Mrs. Torwon Sulonteh-Brown, Radio Adviser of the American media development NGO, Internews said:
“In fact, media assessments revealed that many outlets have less than three women performing editorial or managerial roles, out of an average staff of 25. The situation is even worse at the community radio level.”
The Liberian female Journalist further wrote: “To compound these challenges, many of the women themselves lack the motivation to perform, due to low skills, limited education and lack of mentorship.”
The PUL said in its statement on Thursday that the current number of women in the media is good starter for gender competitiveness in newsrooms across the country.
The Union also wants senior female journalists to give push to the current group of entry and middle level reporters creating in them the urge for leadership role in newsrooms, the Journalists’ Union asserted.
The PUL said it is with honor that it salutes female journalists who are competing in a male dominated profession rocked by financial and editorial independence challenges.
The Press Union of Liberia has vowed to remain proactively ready to press for progress on the expansion of gender parity mindset in the newsrooms which could see more women in elective national leadership positions.
According to Internews, the few female Journalists “who have managed to obtain higher education and professional levels and could serve as mentors to the younger ones have all left mainstream media for greener pastures, serving as public relations officers in the public and private sectors, as well as in NGOs.”
Meanwhile, the Press Union of Liberia is urging all media institutions in the country to make their places of work friendlier to female journalists to enhance their productivity.
In its statement marking international Women’s Day, the PUL congratulated Women in the Media on the occasion of the celebrations.