Baidoa, 16 November 2025 – The Somali Women Journalists Organization (SWJO), in collaboration with International Media Support (IMS), has launched a three-day workshop in Baidoa under the theme “Enhancing Gender Balance in Media Content.” This marks another milestone in SWJO’s ongoing national initiative to equip journalists with tools and insights for more inclusive, gender-sensitive reporting.
The workshop brings together over 25 journalists, producers, and media professionals from across South West State, representing leading radio and TV stations. The goal: to shift the narrative by addressing the subtle and systemic ways gender bias enters Somali media content.
“We often don’t realize how much of our news coverage leaves women out — not by intention, but by routine. This workshop is helping us recognize that, and change it,” said one participant during the Day 1 reflection session.
Throughout the first day, the facilitators guided participants through identifying unconscious bias in their reporting, dissecting sourcing patterns, and discussing the challenges women face in entering and staying in the profession — especially in field reporting roles.
The training also introduced the SWJO Gender Tracking Tool, which enables media houses to monitor their representation of female voices and subjects over time. The tool, praised by previous workshop participants in Mogadishu, Dhuusamareeb, Kismaayo, and Beledweyne, is designed to move the conversation beyond good intentions toward data-driven accountability.
The workshop will continue through 18 November, with hands-on sessions, peer reviews, and collaborative problem-solving aimed at producing realistic action plans for gender inclusion in Baidoa’s media landscape.
