Women in the Media

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the United Nations has called on the media to ensure that female politicians are granted the same access as their male counterparts.

This was made known by the representative of the United Nations Women, Ms Beatrice Eyong, at a programme held for media executives in Lagos .

Some journalists have been sharing emails detailing disturbing threats.

Public instances of threats and intimidation of women in public life have intensified in recent weeks, with significant examples of abuse targeted toward politicians — most recently, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland — as well as activists and journalists.

Stakeholders in the electoral process in Nigeria, including the United States-based National Democratic Institute have expressed concern over the exclusion of women as running mates in the presidential primaries for the 2023 elections.

They, therefore, emphasised the need for the media to beam attention on the marginalisation of women in the last presidential primaries by political parties.

Honorable Rose Obigah is a politician from Uganda and a newcomer to the legislature. During the just completed 2021 Uganda general elections, she was chosen to serve as a woman member representing Terego district.

Rose had worked as a social worker and government official, and her desire to join the Ugandan parliament was pushed by the struggles that the women in her region experienced and how they overcame them.