Journalists Enlightened On Climate Change and GBV Reporting: Public Urged to Safeguard Environment as Climate Change Fuels Social Risks. Journalists Pledge Responsible Storytelling to Address
Gender‑based violence, compounded by the effects of climate change, continues to weigh heavily on Ugandan communities. In response, journalists have undergone specialized skilling to strengthen their reporting, pledging to use their platforms to raise awareness, influence policy, and drive community sensitization. Key voices at the engagement emphasized accountability, environmental protection, and the urgent need to confront intimate partner violence across society.
Studies indicate that between 40% and 50% of women in Uganda experience some form of gender-based violence (GBV) during their lifetime, with climate-related hazards increasingly being recognized as a catalyst that exacerbates such cases.
In a bid to raise awareness about these challenges, the Center for Domestic Violence Prevention (CEDOVIP), in partnership with the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA), conducted a two-day skilling for media practitioners. The skilling aimed to equip journalists with the knowledge and skills needed to report effectively on the intersection of climate change and GBV, while promoting responsible storytelling that informs the public, influences policy discussions, and contributes to addressing the growing concerns surrounding the issue.
According to Ann Nassamula, intimate partner violence is a major concern that has affected women across various communities, highlighting Paliisa, attributing some of the challenges they face due to climate change resulting in GBV.
The president of the Uganda Parliamentary Press Association (UPPA) urged journalists to strengthen their reporting on gender‑based violence, emphasizing its impact across all segments of society. He further called on the public to safeguard the environment, noting that collective care for natural resources is key to addressing the challenges of climate change.
He further urged responsible stakeholders, including the police, to uphold their mandate by strictly adhering to the Police Act. He emphasized the need to ensure that offenders are prosecuted in accordance with the law, while also calling for intensified community sensitization to prevent such crimes.
We spoke with journalists who participated in the training, and they expressed their commitment to improving the quality of their reporting, noting that beyond sharpening their skills, they also intend to raise public awareness on key issues through their work.
