FAJ supports UN campaign to end gender-based violence in Africa

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) has reaffirmed its commitment to support the UN Women campaign to end violence against women in Africa, PANA reports Thursday.

FAJ, the regional organization of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), said in a statement that it supported the “Campaign, ‘UNiTE to End Violence Against Women'," which was launched in 2008 by Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary General.

At continental level, the “Africa UNiTE Campaign” was also launched in 2010 under the auspices of the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

“Our interest is very clear; violence against women is endangering the safety of women journalists and gender mainstreaming is our top priory both in the media industry and in our communities,” FAJ President, Omar Faruk Osman, said.

He said: “We call on FAJ members and working journalists to give attention to the Africa UNiTE Campaign as it will leverage the contribution of female populations on development in Africa.”

According to the statement, the continental steering committee meeting of the Africa UNiTE Campaign was recently held in Abuja, Nigeria, and Gabriel Baglo, who represented FAJ at the meeting, stressed the total commitment of the pan-African journalist federation in tackling violence against women in Africa.

“The campaign against gender-based violence is at the heart of our role in gender mainstreaming in the societies that we belong to,” Mr. Baglo emphasized.

“We will contribute resources to gear our gender programmes towards addressing the campaign to end violence against women,” he added.
-0- PANA MLJ/VAO 2Aug2012