5th June, 2017
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), Bauchi Field Office, on Monday organised a one-day workshop for Journalist in Gombe state on how to mobilise the public to end violence against children.
The training, featuring 27 journalists, is aimed at equipping the journalists with the right skills on reporting of issues bordering on children.
Speaking during the training, Mrs Ladi Alabi, UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, said there was no component of violence against children that was acceptable.
She said research had revealed that 60 per cent of Nigerian children suffered one form of violence or the other, either emotional or physical.
“The same people that are supposed to protect them (children) are the perpetrators of the violence.
“Children who were victims of violence become perpetrators of violence when they grow up.
“God created children and brought them under our care, therefore, children must be protected by adults” she said.
She urged media practitioners to be proactive in reporting any form of violence inflicted on children.
Also speaking, Mr Samuel Kaalu, UNICEF Communication Specialist, Bauchi Field Office, said the aim of the training was to update the knowledge of journalist on ethical reporting of issues on children.
“When reporting issue affecting children, always apply ethics in order to protect them,” he said.
He also appealed to the participants to make community leaders realise that issues of violence on children was the responsibility of communities to tackle.
In his contribution, Mr Janis Maiyamba, Director, Child Development, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Gombe state, said Gombe would launch a campaign to end violence against children on June 7.
“We want to ensure that our children grow up free from all forms of violence,” he said.
Declaring the training open, Mrs Laraba Ahmed, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Gombe state, said information dissemination was key to ending violence against children.
“I am appealing to journalists to let the public know the reasons for our campaign and what we intend to achieve,” she said.