Somali Women Journalists Organization (SWJO) has conducted a round table discussion for media houses in Baidoa, the administrative capital of Southwest state on Monday 24 August 2020 in a bid to assess the implementation of gender declaration signed by media houses in 2018.
The follow-up event which was held at Horyal hotel in Baidoa was attended by 22 people comprising of 7 media directors, 1 person representing media associations and 14 female journalists from different media houses operating in Baidoa.
The opening of the round table meeting was also presided over by the ministers of information, and women and human rights of Southwest state Ilyas Said Ali and Fahima Osman Omar respectively.
Leila Osman, a member of Somali Women Journalists Organization (SWJO) welcomed the participants to the discussion and gave a brief explanation about the purpose of the round table meeting.
Osman described the event as a follow-up exercise aimed to determine and evaluate the implementation of gender declaration since the media houses penned the document before two years.
Mr. Muhidin Hassan Mohamed, the chairman of Southwest Journalists association who addressed the participants highlighted that the awareness of the directors and the owners of private media on gender declaration has improved since the signing of the declaration.He urged the directors to implement the principles of the declaration fully so as to promote and strengthen the role of women in media.
Southwest minister of information, Ilyas Said Ali hailed the round table discussion organized by Somali Women Journalists Organization. Recalling the importance and the magnitude of achieving gender equality in media, the minister underlined that his ministry will take a leading role aimed to guarantee women journalists get equal opportunities in the sector.
The minister of women and human rights of Southwest state, Fahima Osman Omar said gender equality is a fundamental human right that is critical to achieve a peaceful society adding that its objective is to get a means of realizing a strong society where men and women share same rights, obligations and opportunities in all spheres of life without discrimination.
On their side, the female journalists in attendance of the meeting expressed their views on the achievements registered, the existing challenges since Somali media houses signed the declaration.
After tea break, an open discussion and comments session was held for the participants of the meeting to deliberate on the Gender Declaration and provide feedback to what was implemented, what they fall short and the challenges faced since signing the declaration. Some of the key points highlighted during the meeting include the following:
- Gender Committee: Most of the media directors who attended the meeting stated that they have established gender departments dealing with gender issues and nominated women to lead those departments, enabling the female journalists to easily report their complaints of sexual harassment and violence against them without fear. One official, the director of radio Arladi, a newly established community radio, Abdirahman Yussuf stated that the gender unit was formed by the management so as to handle the affairs of female journalists that might go unreported if there is no proper channel. Yussuf said they encouraged the female journalists to report freely the incidents of harassment so as to fight the violence against female journalists.
- Annual, Sick and Maternity Leaves: The participants of the round table meeting had lengthy discussions on the different leaves granted to the employees especially the female journalists in media. Two directors, Abdirahman Yussuf and Hilal Sheikh Shueyb of radio Arladi and radio Warsan respectively stated that their stations have leave policies that specify the types of leaves which the employees are entitled to. Maryam Moalim Ali, a female journalist who works with radio Arlaadi and gave birth to her first child confirmed that she was granted paid maternity leave by her employer. Maryan also stated that she has just returned to work after she was granted paid annual leave.
- Training and Development: The directors in attendance stated that they employ equal opportunity policy where both male and female journalists benefit from the available trainings to ensure that discrimination does not occur in the workplace. 2 directors highlighted that they normally allocate equal chances to male and female journalists when conducting refresher trainings. The directors of Warsan and Baidoa radios confirmed that the equal opportunities training they have implemented in their workplaces has boosted the morale and effectiveness of the employees which in turn promoted innovation. The director of Arlaadi radio stressed that all the employees (male and female) in his station were given equal opportunity to attend and benefit from 4 Virtual training conducted by experts hired by his organization.
- Sexual Harassment and Violence: Sharing the efforts they made in the fight against sexual harassment and violence against female journalists, the directors termed the sexual harassment as illegal and crime against law. Two directors confirmed that they have created policies that help establish working environments that are free from sexual harassment. The director of radio Arladi said that they had installed CCTV cameras in the station to monitor the harassments happening with in the workplace.
- Educational Advancement and Professional Development: Educational advancement and self-development by the employees especially the female journalists was one of the key issues discussed during the round table meeting. Most the directors said that they are keen to improve the skills and knowledge of their employees so to increase their productivity. Hassan Ali, the director of radio Baidoa stated that two female journalists among his employees were recruited while in secondary school. Having the importance of education in mind, the director said he allowed the two journalists to work on evening shifts and continue with their studies. Ali said confidently that the two journalists are balancing their studies and the work effectively. He asked the other directors to borrow a leaf from this example and allocate the female journalists time off where they can build their skills and knowledge through learning. The female journalists on their side showed readiness to take advantage of the opportunity in hand. Roda Ahmed Yussuf who is working with Radio Baidoa said that she joined the media while in secondary school. Yussuf confirmed that the management has given her flexible time to continue with her education and work adding that she was also promised to continue with her education when she joins the University next year.
- Equal Salary:The issue of equal salary in workplace was one of the least discussed points during the meeting. Only, one director, radio Arlaadi, Abdirahman Yussuf confirmed that all employees (male & female) take equal salary for equal job. Abdirahman said the employees in his workplace signed contracts during the recruitment detailing the salary, working hours, public holidays and job description. The other directors reported that there is no standard salary scale for paying their employees confirming the existence of unequal pay of equal work in their workplaces even after signing the declaration.
- Promotion: Promotion is one of the areas that was discussed by the participants during the round table discussion. Kaltun Mustaf Noor, a female journalist working with Southwest TV and radio was confirmed as the only female journalist promoted since the media houses signed the gender declaration. Kaltun was promoted as the head of programmes of Southwest TV and radio. Two directors who addressed the meeting compared the relationship between promotion and the performance of the female journalists. They blamed the female journalists of lacking the courage, confidence and passion to compete with their counterparts, male journalists.
One female journalist, Kaltun was promoted since the document was signed. Before the promotion Kaltun was a reporter and a producer at the TV. Now she is the head of programs of Southwest TV and radio. She manages, instructs and edits the programs of the producers in her department. She also advices the management on the suitable programs to be aired by the state-owned TV and radio.
Gaps
- Separate Toilets, Prayer Room, Ablution, Dressing Room: All the directors confirmed that they have no separate toilets, prayer and dressing rooms for female journalists in their workplaces. They cited rented houses with limited spaces as the main challenge making difficult the implementation of this particular principle. Hilal Sheikh Shueyb, the director of radio Warsan said his station has one small prayer room which the journalists both male and female working with the radio pray at a time.
- Gender Sensitivity Trainings: Most of the directors highlighted that they have not conducted gender sensitivity training in their stations. From their discussions, the directors have little understanding and expertise on how to conduct and implement this kind of training in the workplace.
- Sexual Harassment and Violence: Most of the directors who attended the meeting still do not have policies and procedures to handle sexual harassment in the workplace but expressed their readiness to take affirmative actions that will add value to the fight against sexual harassment in workplace.
- Equal Salary: Most ofthe directors reported that there is no standard salary scale for paying their employees confirming the existence of unequal pay in their workplaces even after signing the declaration.
Recommendations
The participants made some recommendations during the meeting.
- The media directors were advised to implement fully the principles of the declaration they signed earlier.
- The directors were also advised to eliminate the structural barriers to gender equality in workplace taking into account the various roles and capabilities of female journalists.
- The female journalists were urged to put more efforts on career and self-development so as to compete with their male counterparts and promote their role in media.
After the open discussions, the round table meeting concluded with a lunch for the participants. Generally, the participants were actively engaged in the discussion, they openly expressed their opinions and views. The directors promised to take affirmative actions that will help create a conducive working environment for all employees regardless of sex and age.
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