Embrace Media, NGOs told
Posted on: November 10, 2010
By Sarah Muwanga
ZAMBIA Media Women’s Association Program Officer has encouraged gender activists to have closer links with the media to enable them realise their goals.
Gender activist and Zambia Media Women Association (ZAMWA) Programs Officer, Ms. Sally Chiwama said currently Nongovernmental organizations had currently distanced themselves from media yet the fourth estate was also a partner in development.
She said that NGOs promoting gender equity and equality should amplify and make their voices louder by publicizing their activities. “If you make the media your partner, you will get better results”, Chiwama told participants during the Tisunge Ana Athu Akazi Coalition [TAAAC] workshop held in Lusaka recently.
TAAAC is an organization consisting eight major Non Governmental Organization partners with a goal to empower adolescent girls to understand their rights and say no to sexual violence. Zambia Media Women Association [ZAMWA ] is one of the partners whose role is to create public awareness on the magnitude of sexual Violence against girls in Zambia and efforts by different stakeholders to address the problem.
Other organisations in TAAAC include, Population Council, Women and Law in Southern Africa [WILSA], Forum for Women Educationists in Zambia (FAWEZA), Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) , Parenthood Planning Association of Zambia[PPAZ], Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) and Zambia Association for Research and Development [ZARD].
“The media plays an important role in changing people’s attitudes and myths surrounding sexual violence against girls. We are grateful that ZAMWA with support from the UN Trust Fund and through Equality Now , is also carrying out training of journalists to increase capacity to report issues of sexual violence against children”, Chiwama added.
And Shupe Makashinyi, TAAAC and Equality Now Coordinator in Zambia said partners need to do proper monitoring and evaluation of their activities. This she said helps in knowing the impact of the program and changes in people’s behavior, knowledge and attitudes towards sexual violence against girls and gender Based Violence in general. Makashinyi added that good monitoring will enable the coalition to re-strategize and plan for future activities .
Caroline Muthoni from Equality Now Africa Regional Office in Kenya said TAAAC project in Zambia has generated interest from several countries who have approached Equality Now to find out how they can replicate it in their own countries. “The knowledge and information that has been documented in not only important in Zambia but globally”, she said.
Tisunge Ana Athu Akhazi [Let us Protect the Girl Child] was launched in June 2009 following a case of a 13 year old school girl who was raped by her teacher. The case was successfully defended and the high court judge ruled in favor of the girl. The partners in TAAAC came together in consultative meetings which culminated into the formation of the body.
TAAAC Zambia 
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