Goma, 7 May 2011 – Radio Okapi organized a workshop to empower Congolese women journalists on the coverage of DRC's upcoming elections. The workshop took place at the headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission for the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) in Goma on Friday, 6 May. About 20 women journalists from the different Radio stations in the area attended the workshop.

MONUSCO's Public Information Office in Goma initiated the training after noticing that women were lagging behind in reporting techniques compared to their male counterparts who are better trained as they are given more training opportunities. As a result, the UN-run radio station, Radio Okapi, held this workshop for women journalists in an effort to close the gap between them and men journalists working in the same production rooms.

The training focused on media coverage in the upcoming elections as well as on basic journalistic rules such as impartiality and objectivity that every professional media person is bound to observe. The workshop also provided a forum for exchange between the trainees and the local representative of the Independent Electoral Commission (CENI).

The journalists applauded the initiative and expressed their hope to see MONUSCO organize more of these training opportunities. They also called for the setting up of a framework for consultation between private and public media, and with Radio Okapi and CENI in light of the up-coming elections.

It should be noted that the workshop was organized as part of the celebration of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May.

Sy Koumbo/MONUSCO