Journalists trained to report on sexual and reproductive health rights

7 December 2024, 10:06 am

By Nakkazi Mercy

KAMPALA, UGANDA – In an effort to improve the quality of reporting on sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Uganda, journalists from various media outlets have participated in an extensive training programme.

The session, led by Amon Mulyowa, a seasoned expert, aimed to equip journalists with a thorough understanding of Uganda’s policies that affect young people’s health and development. These policies include the National Gender Policy (2016), National Youth Policy (2016), Adolescent Health Policy (2012), and the Draft National School Health Policy (2019), among others.

The training also covered international legal frameworks that are crucial in safeguarding SRHR, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

Ronnie Tusingwire, the SRHR Alliance Uganda Programmes Coordinator, highlighted the importance of the training, stating, “We conducted this training to change the narrative and provide journalists with the information they need to report on SRHR issues effectively.”

Tusingwire further added, “Journalists are pivotal to the work we do. They amplify our voices, our efforts, and society places great trust in them.”

The training aimed to empower journalists to report on SRHR issues responsibly and confidently, ultimately raising public awareness of these critical matters. With this newly acquired knowledge, journalists are better equipped to educate, advocate, mediate, and monitor SRHR issues, contributing to a more informed and engaged public discourse.