Journalists urged to join war against child Abuse
NAN-H-48
Abuse
By Kate Obande
Abuja, Oct. 25, 2016 (NAN) The Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) has urged journalists to adequately report cases of violence against children, to address the menace.
Felicia Chukwurah, the Chairperson, FCT NAWOJ chapter, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
She said that the media, whose primary responsibility is to educate, inform and enlighten the public, should be maximally utilised to eradicate violence against children in the country.
Chukwurah advised the media to ensure that their programmes do not impact negatively on children.
“We, as professionals, should use our communication tools to inform, sensitise and educate the public properly.
“We should take sensitisation seriously and help the society by reporting cases of violence against children, particularly the girl-child.
“We should step our actions on information and entertainment as the media has been accused of propagating such vices through television programmes.’’
According to her, many children act what they see, citing the example of entertainers who sag their trousers and the kids pick them as role models and begin to emulate them.
She urged the government to urgently establish special courts to handle cases of violence against children, to enable speedy trial and punishment of perpetrators.
She said that government should intensify efforts in ensuring that every child, especially the girl-child, was educated.
According to her, any child who is educated, will be an independent and self-sustaining adult, thereby eradicating poverty from the society.
The chairperson told NAN that the association, in its efforts to address violence against children, had embarked on various sensitisation programmes in the area councils of the FCT.
She explained that the programmes focused on rape and has both men and women as participants, for effective enlightenment. (NAN)
KTE/HS/NKO
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Editing by Halima Sheji/Nkechi Okoronkwo
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