The Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of Kishimi Shelter and Care Foundation, Phillip Joshua, has urged journalists, media professionals and social media influencers to use their various platforms to combat stigma, discrimination, gender-based violence and rights abuses while promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services in Gombe State.
Joshua made the call during a Quarterly Sensitisation Meeting for Journalists, Media Professionals and Social Media Influencers on Stigma, Rights Abuse, Gender-Based Violence and Discrimination: Empowering SRHR Champions.
The meeting was organised by the Global Fund and the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCP) and implemented by the Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (JHPIEGO) in partnership with the Kishimi Shelter and Care Foundation.
Giving an overview of the project, Joshua said the intervention is being implemented in Akko, Gombe and Kaltungo Local Government Areas, covering 15 health facilities.
“Our major responsibility is to generate demand for the uptake of integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and communicable disease services in the communities,” he said.
He explained that the project seeks to increase the number of women, men and young people accessing healthcare services in participating facilities.
“The key indicators we are focusing on include antenatal care, family planning, labour and delivery services, gender-based violence response, HIV, syphilis and cervical cancer services. We want more people from the communities to access these essential services,” Joshua stated.
Speaking on the objective of the media engagement, he said the meeting was designed to empower media professionals to become champions of SRHR by using their platforms to address harmful social practices.
“This meeting is specifically aimed at reducing stigma, discrimination, rights abuse, gender-based violence and misinformation affecting the uptake of integrated SRHR and communicable disease services by empowering media professionals to serve as SRHR champions within the implementing communities,” he said.
Joshua urged participants to use their media channels responsibly to promote accurate information and encourage community members to seek available healthcare services.
“As media professionals, we want you to use your various platforms to publish information that will help reduce gender-based violence, rights abuse and discrimination. That is the essence of this meeting,” he added.
He also reminded journalists of the ethical requirements for reporting cases involving survivors of gender-based violence and other sensitive issues.
“When reporting such cases, you must protect the identity of survivors. Avoid revealing faces in photographs or disclosing names and locations because these are confidential matters,” he cautioned.
Joshua further encouraged participants to develop action plans outlining how their respective media organisations would contribute to promoting SRHR and combating stigma and discrimination in their communities.