Raising awareness of violence is important, journalists told [1]
Friday, March 4, 2016 - 17:17. Updated on Monday, March 7, 2016 - 13:21.
We are all accountable every time every time a woman or girl is a target of violence - and raising awareness is important to ensure equal protection under the law and equitable access to justice, stated a briefing for local journalists on Thursday, 3 March in Nuku’alofa.
The journalists received tips in Tongan and in English for reporting on violence against women and children in Tonga. Aterina Pele from UNESCO said the aim was to have a relevant resource based on the experience and knowledge of Tongan media to guide them throughout their work on particular issues.
Tonga Media Council President Lady Luseane Luani and Aterina distributed the sheet of advice, at the end of a two-day meeting.
Aterina also stressed the self-care for journalists in protecting themselves, because they are not immune to violence and they also risk being affected by what is told to them.
"Safety for journalists is a priority through UNSECO's communication and information programs. It is good to have these tools to continuously improve the role of journalists," she said.
‘Ofa Guttenbeil-Likiliki, Director of the Women and Children Crisis Centre who co-facilitated the meeting said that sometimes they felt that journalists could have covered the stories better so this training was important.
"For us to be a part of it and share our experiences and the experiences of victims so that journalists can better understand the impact of violence on women and children's lives.
"Also important is informing journalists on government commitments to end violence against women and children," she said.
A second tips sheet was also formulated for reporting on natural disasters.
A similar workshop is planned for the Cook Islands in December this year by UNESCO.