The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) joined the global community to mark 2022 International Women’s Day with a webinar themed ‘Women in media: Breaking the bias’ on March 8. The session was anchored by one of the centre’s Female Reporters Leadership Programme (FRLP) fellows under the Report Women! programme, Dooshima Abu, a multimedia journalist with BBC News Pidgin.
The panellists- Lami Sadiq, Kaduna Bureau Chief of Daily Trust; Enato Isukul, the Director of News in the Niger Delta Television; Anita Eboigbe, the Managing Editor of HumAngle and Titilope Fadare, a multimedia journalist with Premium Times discussed how women reporters can break bias in the newsroom and overcome impostor syndrome.
The panellists- FRLP fellows gave tips that female journalists can deploy in the newsroom to become champions. According to Sadiq, she had to battle societal conservatives as a woman from northern Nigeria for her career choice. Fadare said that the Nigerian patriarchal society, which believes that women should be seen, not heard, had spread into many sectors in Nigeria, including the media. Thus, society has placed limitations on female journalists. She ascribed her career achievements to her intentionality and determination to grab opportunities as female journalists were encouraged to jettison fear and stay resolute in their stance to make a change.
Female journalists were encouraged by Eboigbe to be deliberate about breaking bias and stereotypes. She said through mentorship, the next generation of female journalists can break the glass ceiling. Another panellist, Isukul explained that female journalists must invest in training and requisite knowledge to help them adapt professionally.
The event had in attendance members of the Nigerian media, gender advocates, and other stakeholders.