UNDP Supports MGYSR’s Efforts on Gender Sensitive Media Reporting in Lesotho

In collaboration with the Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organisations (AGFUND) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Lesotho, UNDP Lesotho supported the Government of Lesotho through the Ministry of Gender and Youth, Sports and Recreation (MGYSR) to conduct a 3-day workshop on gender-sensitive reporting for the media houses in Lesotho from 29^th November to 1^st December, 2011.

In December 2010, a rapid media assessment on gender in Lesotho was conducted through the UN joint project, “Measures to Counteract Violence Against Women.” The assessment revealed that gender issues are not efficiently reported in the media in Lesotho. In particular, women's views and voices are underrepresented in media coverage, not giving a fair treatment and an equal opportunity with men. Furthermore, women tend to be portrayed as victims rather than as agents of changes. To respond to the challenges, UNDP Lesotho supported MGYSR to organise a breakfast meeting with editors in November 2011. Subsequently, MGYSR contracted with the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) as a training facilitator and organised a 3-day workshop to develop a draft guideline on gender sensitive reporting in Lesotho. During the training, 19 participants including media practioners from the television, radio and newspapers gained their understanding on effective gender sensitive reporting and drafted a guideline on gender sensitive reporting in Lesotho.

One of the participants said, “I now have a better understanding of gender concepts and gender based violence. Until I attended the workshop, I had difficulty understanding those concepts.” The guideline is intended to assist journalists, editors and reporters to report gender issues with accuracy and sensitivity. In liaison with MISA and the media houses in Lesotho, MGYSR is now hoping to finalise the guideline and to monitor the work of the media houses on gender sensitive reporting.

Mami Yoshimura, HIV/AIDS and Gender Programme Specialist