NSCDC Commits To Protection Of Female Journalists

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) says it is taking active steps to prioritise the protection of female journalists in Nigeria.

The NSCDC, FCT Commandant, Olusola Odumosu made this known at a training workshop organized by the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) in collaboration with UNESCO in Entebbe, Uganda, for law enforcement officers, journalists and lawyers on “Monitoring and Reporting on the Safety of Journalists in Africa with a Focus on Gender’.

In his paper presentation, titled, ‘From Report to Response: How Cases of Attacks Against Female Journalists Are Handled’, Odumosu said that the efforts to prioritize the safety of media practitioners was in response to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) reports which had indicated that female journalists were prone to attacks more than their male couterparts.

He said that the vulnerability of journalists in Nigeria, especially women, was gender-sensitive, trauma-informed and needs institutionally supported protection mechanisms.

The commandant noted that, to adequately protect journalists, it is strategically imperative for security agencies to create clear policy reforms, capacity building, data systems, accountability, prevention and collaboration with media stakeholders.

The FCT Commandant further advocated that security agencies in Africa should consider a more responsive way of protecting women in journalism profession.

“There is need to champion an institutional culture where violence against women journalists is condemned, investigated and punished.

“We must allocate resources for the desk officers, provide rapid response protocol, commit to quarterly data reporting on incidents involving female journalists, engage proactively with media houses and journalists associations to build trust and coordination.

“Together, by implementing these measures, we will help safeguard not only the lives of female journalists but the very foundation of our democracy, security and public safety,” Odumosu said.

According to him, the NSCDC in partnership with other security agencies in Nigeria had made some positive strides in limiting attacks on citizens, not exempting journalists by creating the gender desks and training personnel on gender-based violence response across formations.

He however, highlighted some major gaps which included under-reporting of GBV against journalists, digital threats, data coordination, institutional attitude and accountability and charged all stakeholders to work cooperatively and intentionally in closing the gaps.

The two-days workshop was graced by stakeholders from the media, legal profession, and security sector from across Africa.

Nkiru Njemanze, Edited By Grace Namiji