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Deputy Information, Nana Ama Dokua Agyei, has called for women in the media to do more to shine a spotlight on women’s success stories to inspire others to defy all odds.

They should use their platform to tell stories about women’s achievements so that more would be motivated and refuse to be defined by stereotypes.

The Deputy Minister was speaking at the re-launch of the Association of Women in the Media (ASWIM), at the International Press Centre, in Accra.

She asked that they used the platform to condemn and assist fight the incessant attacks and falsehoods against women, especially on social media, and other media outlets.

Most often many of them into politics and other career women had been at the receiving end of vile attacks, just to discourage women’s becoming assertive - participation and involvement in decision-making.

“We cannot sit down helplessly as women in the media and watch our colleague women suffer and suffocate under this ruthlessness and barrage of attacks.”

They should rise up and condemn these needless and vicious attacks.

Ms. Agyei said she was confident that the re-launch of ASWIM would mark a new beginning - new identity and a source of unending inspiration to uphold and uplift the image of today’s woman.

“Let the re-launch be the catalyst of wiping away the infamous quote, ‘women are their own enemies. Our brand as women in the media, moving forward should read: ‘Women are their own partners in development.”

ASWIM was established in 1981 with Mrs. Janet Amerley Esseku, a veteran broadcaster, as its first President, to give visibility to women in the media who were contributing to its growth but had been relegated to the background at the time.

The re-launch ceremony was held under the theme “Ghana’s development needs, the strategic contribution of women in the media: the role of the association of women in the media”.

It brought together high profile personalities, veteran and practising journalists, including Justice Cecelia Hamzy Sowah, an Appeal Court Judge, Director-General of the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo Dankwa, Nana Kwesi Gyan Apenteng, Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Mr. Roland Affail Monney, President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mrs. Yaa Oforiwaa Asare-Peasah, acting General Manager, Ghana News Agency (GNA) and Mrs. Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie, a former GJA President.

Ms. Agyei applauded the media for the stand-up role they had been playing to safeguard the country’s democracy and urged that they continued to make fairness and objectivity the watchword.
She added that having an arm solely for women in the media was a remarkable feat.

“We should all be proud of it, and be committed to its growth, its development and its sustainability.”

Mrs. Mavis Kitcher, interim President of ASWIM, said the revived Association would facilitate exchange of ideas and experiences, foster solidarity and inculcate discipline in members to maintain high standards of professionalism in the performance of their duties.

It would also provide the opportunity for the members enhance their skills through professional development, training, mentoring, and networking and peer support.

“All these are meant to develop strong and confident women journalists in our newsrooms and identify common objectives to help raise the women’s agenda further and ensure gender equity in our society.”