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By Joyce Mukucha
The Sexual Reproductive Health Rights(SRHR) Southern Africa Trust(SAT), a regional high impact organisation which works to improve access to SRHR for adolescents and young adults has eqquiped members of the fourth estate with knowledge to prioritize sexual and reproductive health rights issues and report them in an accurate manner.
A one-day workshop conducted in Harare on the 9th of December 2021 accommodated journalists from various local publications covered on subjects of understanding about myths around SRHR and it unpacked issues around sexual gender based violence (SGBV), gender equity, age of consent, sexuality and social responsibility of media among others.
In an interview after the workshop, the SAT Youth Programs Officer, Raymond Mazhambe said it was important to impart the media with skills which enable them to correctly and effectively disseminate SRHR information to different communities.
“Today we organised a Sexual Reproductive and Health Rights training with journalists from different media houses the intention being to ensure that when journalists are reporting on these issues they do report correctly with the right information and the right background,” he said.
Mazhambe added that as an organisation they were hoping to see improved reporting from journalists as custodians of information who relay message to different parts of the world.
He highlighted that sometimes, the media tend to abuse its power to perpetuate destructive and retrogressive stereotypes in as much as SRHR issues are concerned.
Meanwhile Dean Mutata, SRHR Youth Officer said the media has often failed to prioritize sexual and reproductive health rights issues thus the need to solidify the already existing information as well as ensuring enhancement of the journalists from all the provinces who have been dedicated towards working in the health beat.
“There is need of capacity building initiative and the training is aimed at motivating and adequately prepare the journalists to cover the stories on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.The media should use its great power to positively influence public opinion towards SRHR and any other health issues affecting adolescents and key populations,” said Mutata.
The SRHR Africa Trust (SAT) is a youth-centred organisation dedicated to gender-equal youth health.
SAT works across the SADC region, with country programmes in Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and a regional office in South Africa and it supports over 100 communities, non-governmental organisations community based organisations and activists to help adolescents walk healthy, happy, confident and safe pathways to adulthood.