Female journalists have lamented the escalating violence in the political arena as the country prepares to hold elections next year.
This was said at a meeting organised by the Women Institute for Development (WILD) on Saturday.
The country is preparing for the crunch 2023 elections and some journalists including female journalists have been assaulted while covering political rallies.
These despicable incidents have brought to the fore the safety of journalists ahead of the polls.
Sharing their experiences during the meeting the journalists lamented the tough working conditions they endure during the electoral period often with little protection.
They also pointed out that they find it difficult to obtain accreditation to cover elections, especially for freelance journalists.
Some of the participants also said that they find it difficult to obtain comments from politicians some of who will be hostile toward them.
“We conducted a meeting with female journalists from Bulawayo to discuss the different challenges that they faced during the election period, we brought together these female journalists so that they could share ideas and strategies on how they can tackle these challenges that they are faced with,” said Bridget Ndlovu from WILD.
“What was key for this meeting was that we come up with recommendations and solutions for journalists and share information on how they can tackle these challenges because so many times when journalists are attacked during the electoral period they do not know where to report, they do not know the different mechanisms available that protect them, they do not know the laws that protect them.”
Ndlovu with the elections beckoning, journalists should take the necessary measures to appropriately report on electoral issues and give fair coverage to all contesting parties.
“We also hope that journalists will make sure that they cover even underserved communities. We also hope that journalists will share credible information, factual information, so that people receive accurate information,” she said.
Ndlovu added, “It is our hope that this information will not be limited and female journalists will be actively participating in the electoral process by providing this accurate information to the whole population.”
