Benjamins-Laniyi Tasks Media on Gender-Sensitive Reporting, Women’s Leadership

The Director-General of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development (MBNCWD), Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, has called for a structured partnership with the media to promote women’s leadership, strengthen gender-sensitive reporting and hold governments and institutions accountable for policies aimed at improving the lives of women and girls.

She said the media must move beyond reporting activities marking International Women’s Day to consistently highlighting women’s contributions, exposing barriers to their advancement and tracking the implementation of policies designed to address their challenges.

Benjamins-Laniyi made the call at the weekend in Abuja when the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, led by its Chairman, Comrade Grace Ike, visited the Centre to explore areas of collaboration.

She proposed a formal media-partnership framework involving joint advocacy, public enlightenment, capacity building and regular engagements to improve the quality, depth and visibility of reporting on women’s development.

The director-general said journalists remained critical to shaping public understanding of gender issues, influencing policy conversations and ensuring that the experiences of women and girls received adequate attention in national discourse.

She proposed periodic training sessions, media roundtables and knowledge-sharing engagements to equip journalists with the skills and information required to report issues such as women’s economic empowerment, leadership, gender-based violence, education and social inclusion accurately and sensitively.

“Let us invest in the capacity of journalists to report gender issues responsibly and effectively,” she said.

Benjamins-Laniyi, the Centre’s 16th director-general, congratulated Ike on becoming the first female chairman of the NUJ FCT Council in 41 years, describing the development as an opportunity to strengthen collaboration around women’s representation and leadership.

She stressed that the proposed partnership must translate into measurable results rather than remain at the level of goodwill and declarations.

“As the 16th Director-General of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, I extend a formal invitation to the NUJ FCT Council to become a strategic media partner in advancing the Centre’s mandate and strengthening the national movement for women’s empowerment,” she said.

To ensure accountability, she proposed that both organisations designate focal persons to coordinate activities, identify priorities and periodically assess progress through measurable indicators, including programmes implemented, women reached, stories published, public awareness raised and opportunities created.

She also urged the media to give greater visibility to women entrepreneurs, rural women, young innovators, women with disabilities and community leaders whose contributions often receive limited public attention.

According to her, journalists should be involved in shaping conversations on women’s development rather than being restricted to covering the Centre’s official activities.

“The Centre has a mandate to empower women. The media has the power to amplify that mandate. Together, we can turn that power into progress,” she said.

Earlier, Ike said the NUJ FCT Council visited the Centre to establish what she described as a “partnership of purpose”, aimed at placing women’s stories, voices and contributions at the heart of national development.

She said Nigerian women had made significant contributions to families, the economy, culture and democracy, but many of their achievements remained undocumented or inadequately represented in the national narrative.

“Our theme is: Women in Journalism: Centring Women’s Stories, Voices and Contributions for National Development,” she said.

Ike urged journalists to highlight women’s achievements and challenges while promoting public conversations that advance equal opportunities and participation in national development.

She identified the Nigerian Women Hall of Fame, located within the Centre, as an important platform for preserving the contributions of Nigerian women and said the union was willing to collaborate with the institution to document their stories for future generations.

She said such efforts should particularly inspire girls and young women by showcasing the experiences and achievements of women who had broken barriers in different fields.

The NUJ FCT chairman called for sustained media attention to grassroots and rural women, women in informal employment, women with disabilities and young women whose work often goes unrecognised.

She proposed regular features, interviews and programmes focusing on women’s leadership, enterprise, innovation and community impact, alongside intergenerational dialogues involving veteran women leaders, emerging professionals and young girls.

Other areas identified for collaboration included public discussions on women’s economic empowerment, digital inclusion, leadership, health, safety and rights, as well as joint capacity-building programmes to strengthen ethical and gender-sensitive reporting.

Ike also called for greater professional development opportunities for female journalists and increased representation of women in leadership positions within the media industry.

She urged journalists to ensure that women were adequately represented in coverage of governance, the economy, technology, security, education, health, climate change and other issues shaping the country.

“Women are not merely beneficiaries of policy. They are experts, employers, innovators, caregivers, peacebuilders, taxpayers, voters, traders, farmers, researchers and leaders,” she said.

She added that media reports should connect women to information, opportunities, essential services and decision-making spaces, while explaining policies in accessible language, exposing barriers and examining whether government commitments translated into tangible improvements in their lives.

The proposed partnership, both sides indicated, would seek to strengthen the relationship between the media and the Centre while making women’s development a sustained national priority rather than an occasional subject of public attention.