Women Radio 91.7, Nigeria’s first women-centred radio station, has received 104 entries for its maiden ReportHer Awards, which is scheduled to take place on July 8 at Radisson Blu, Lagos.
ReportHer Awards is a gender balanced award in recognition of media organisations and journalists who report women more and give prime time to women-related issues.
A press statement by Elizabeth Aboh, Communications Officer, Women Radio 91.7, stated that winners will be selected in five categories of television, radio, print, digital and a journalist.
The statement noted that the awards seek to recognise the representation of women, address the need for an objective and gender-sensitive reporting and encourage gender-balanced reportage, which is essential to nation-building.
It added that all 104 entries are being assessed by a panel of four independent judges.
The CEO, Women Radio 91.7, Toun Okewale Sonaiya, said that given the power the media wields, it should be used to project more women in a positive light and ensure gender parity.
She said the ReportHer Awards will allow for the opportunity to publicly acknowledge the media that were deliberate and intentional in reporting women.
Okewale Sonaiya said, “The media remains the most powerful tool in shaping public perception and only the media can make the public perceive women more by giving adequate media coverage, using more women as sources, analysts, guests and giving them primetime as their male counterparts.
“While we thank the media for the efforts made so far in reporting women, we should aim for a 50:50 balance reportage by deliberately making women an integral part of editorials and features.”
The ReportHer Awards is an initiative of Women Radio 91.7, in partnership with Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism with support from UNWomen and the Government of Canada.
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