UMWA training inspires West Nile journalist to embrace gender-Sensitive reporting

23 July 2025, 9:06 am

Byamukama Alozious

West Nile-based journalist Andy Opingopi says his approach to reporting has shifted significantly following a training on gender-sensitive reporting by the Uganda Media Women’s Association (UMWA).

For more than a decade in journalism, Opingopi operated within the traditional confines of a deeply patriarchal society. His storytelling often excluded women’s perspectives — a gap he now attributes to the cultural norms in his community and his own limited understanding of gender inclusivity.

“In our society, when a man speaks, it’s assumed he represents the whole family, including the woman. I carried that mind-set into my journalism without realizing I was excluding women,” Opingopi said.

The turning point came when he attended his first gender reporting training at Crane Resort, organized by UMWA under the Media Support for Public Accountability (M-Space) project. The project was implemented in partnership with the African Centre for Media Excellence, Uganda Editors’ Guild, and Uganda Radio Network, with support from the Royal Danish Embassy.

Andy recalls that the first day of training was nothing short of uncomfortable. He admitted to defending male dominance during discussions, only to face criticism from female participants who were more educated and vocal on gender matters.

“I got a lot of backlash from women in the room. Many of them were educated, experienced, and vocal on gender issues. I was just being me a man defending masculinity, believing that men should lead and women should follow. That was the society I knew,” he recounted.

However, that discomfort became a trigger for reflection. “The second day was different. I started reflecting on what I thought was normal. The training forced me to unlearn and relearn. I realized that reporting without the voices of women is not reporting at all it is discrimination,” he said.

He told Mama FM journalist that he remembers a critical moment when participants posed a direct question to him “Someone asked me if you’re reporting about menstruation, breastfeeding, or childbirth, which are issues peculiar to women, why would you only use a man as your source? How will he have empathy or even the right understanding? That question stuck with me. I realized that my reports had been half-done stories — without the woman’s voice, the story was incomplete.”

Since then, Opingopi has made deliberate changes to his journalism. He now pays close attention to the language he uses, both on air and in his writing.

“I became intentional in choosing gender-sensitive words. For example, I now consciously use ‘chairperson’ instead of ‘chairman.’ I emphasize gender-neutral language on air, even when referring to guests,” he noted.

Opingopi also sought further knowledge through training in the Gender Action Learning System (GALS) methodology to strengthen his advocacy for gender equality in media content.

“This is now my new normal,” he said. “The training helped me unlearn, relearn, and commit to better journalism that includes both men and women.”

Despite his personal transformation, he acknowledges persistent challenges. Cultural restrictions still prevent many women from speaking freely to the media in West Nile.

“Many women need their husband’s permission before speaking to the media, and others fear being judged by the community. This makes it hard to represent their voices accurately.”

He also highlighted the scarcity of female journalists in the region as a barrier to comprehensive reporting.“There are very few female journalists here, and that limits the space for women’s stories to be told authentically,” he said.

Opingopi believes that expanding education opportunities is key to bridging these gaps. Currently, journalism training in the region is limited to diploma courses. He called on UMWA and stakeholders to engage the National Council for Higher Education and local universities such as Muni University and Bugema University  to introduce degree programs in journalism.

“We need bachelors’ programs in Arua and other towns to build our capacity. Traveling to Kampala for studies is too expensive for many aspiring journalists,” he said.

He further emphasized the economic challenges that particularly affect female journalists. Poor pay and job insecurity often push them out of the profession.

“A female journalist who goes months unpaid struggles to afford basics like sanitary pads and proper attire. The financial burden pushes many to leave the profession, and when that happens, women’s stories remain untold,” he said.

Opingopi urged the government to introduce a minimum wage policy for journalists to improve working conditions and retain more professionals, especially women. He credits UMWA’s intervention for opening his eyes to the gaps in his reporting. “Before the training, I didn’t see the problem. Now I know I was contributing to the invisibility of women in the media. That’s something I’ll continue to change in my work.”