Challenges of Female Journalists in Northern Nigeria -By Maryam Abdullahi Zuru

Women, world over, are confronted with gender based discrimination in all spheres of life. In many countries, the workplace is not very favourable to women and many of the peculiar needs of women (especially mothers) are not considered a priority in many of these countries. In Nigeria, women are faced with enormous challenges ranging from political exclusion, socio-cultural bias, economic deprivation and sexual and gender based violence.

Many professions in Nigeria are dominated by men and a few women that broke into such spaces contend, on daily basis, with some of the aforementioned social vices especially SGBV. Unfortunately, over the years little progress has been made to open all spaces up for free women participation devoid of any forms of harassments.

One of such professions is Journalism. Women journalists face myriads of challenges, including but not limited to sexual advances, assignments to dry beats, gender insensitive policies and comments, family responsibilities as well as cultural and religious limitations. These are particularly more serious for northern female journalists. Many have had to shelf their passion and ambitions for this noble profession due to social and religious stereotypes.

The female journalists present a paradox where their presence in news gathering and dissemination is now common place ,but yet they continue to be treated different from their male counterparts. In most cases Male journalist are largely perceived to be professionals while the female are classified as gendered hire and their roles and responsibilities are determined by their femininity.

The administration of His Excellency, Gov Nasir Idris, through Her Excellency Haj Zainab Nasare Nasir, is taking giant steps in the right direction towards mitigating the peculiar challenges women of Kebbi State are currently facing. The administration recently launched and capacitated the Kebbi State SGBV Technical Working Group (TWG) to sensitize the general public on gender inclusion and equality, advocate for policy formulation and modifications where necessary, build capacity of women and advanced the herculean (but surmountable) task of making Kebbi State one of the most gender inclusive and sensitive States in Nigeria. These, if well implemented, would go a long way in promoting participation of more women not only in journalism but in other professions in the State as well as curb the current socio-cultural and religious biases against career women.

Maryam Abdullahi Zuru
Journalist and member of the Kebbi State Technical Working Group on SGBV