Joyce Namugambe
Uganda Media Women Association has developed a safety digital platform known as the Safe Report Ug App, to enable prompt reporting on any form of violations and threats against female journalists and provide them with space to file violation cases so that they can get justice and enjoy their working environment and their sorroundings.
The information that is to be reported on the Safe Report Ug platform include the victim and survivors details, the violation incident, who the perpetuator is, any form of impact that has been created such as physical or psychological, any assistance rendered and what can be done either from UMWA or any other actor towards the victim among others.
While introducing this Platform to media Managers at Hotel Africana in Kampala, the UMWA communications and advocacy officer Brenda Namata said that this platform is accelerating the solutions that they are driving on safety and security of female journalists in the country.
Brenda added “that by initiating this App, UMWA wants to create an evidence based advocacy through getting this information, document it and accelerate towards advocacy to see that responses are given to the identified issues that have been reported on this platform. Brenda stressed that the survivors or victims of these abuses can get rapid support in terms of counselling, addressing mental health challenges, health care, and legal assistance and the perpetuators to be brought to book. UMWA plans a social media campaign where they are to do popularization of this platform to the wider public.
Joanita Nankya Sanyu, in charge of monitoring and research in UMWA urged Media houses to adopt policies of allocating equal responsibilities between male and female journalists so that women are given chance to cover sensitive stories such as politics, technology among others, as it will help them come out and actively participate in national issues other than keeping them on simple stories such as fashion, celebrities, women’s day among others.
One of the Stakeholders who attended the meeting, and the CEO MSNEWS Uganda Joel Kiwalabye Katerega urged UMWA also to engage men while in their move to fight against Gender based violence towards female journalists if they are to successfully put things right.
Mr. Joel emphasised that men are directly involved in the GBV cases towards women thereby expressing the need to involve them in different engagements to see the lives of women at their work places and the surroundings favourable for them.
In the same way, the TV producer from New vision Godfrey Mubuuke expressed the need for continuous engagements and training to media managers to create a safe environment for female journalists at their places of work since more new people keep joining the newsrooms. He emphasised that the way he would not want to see his daughter go through violations at her work place pushes him to create a safe working environment for other female journalists so that it starts with him, as a media manager.
Meanwhile, one of the journalists and a secretary external affairs in Uganda Journalism Association (UJA) Issa Kigongo, welcomed this App as according to him, it will help highlight what is going on in the media industry since it will give space to female journalists to tell what they go through and get help in the long run. Issa appealed to UMWA to put up action plans to push the fight against violation towards female journalists and encouraged female journalists to report such acts on this Platform so that they can get justice after being violated and as well avoid further violation cases.
However, the communications and advocacy officer from Africa Freedom of Information Centre Gaaba Lakel Maria expressed gratitude towards UMWA for the App and promised to actively report any forms of violations not only what happens to her, but also to report for any other female journalists who she will spot going through violations.
The Safe Report Ug App is to be officially launched before the end of this year and UMWA is being supported by the Canadian Fund for Local Initiative.
