Somalia - IOM has organized a training for 14 journalists in Bossaso, Puntland, on human rights-based reporting. The workshop was supported by the European Union and the Japanese Government.

The training – the second of its kind targeting reporters and Ministry of Information staff – highlighted the need for confidentiality in reporting human rights abuses such as human trafficking and Gender Based Violence (GBV).

Puntland journalists often need to report on human rights violations and have to be sensitive to recognizing and treating in a dignified manner victims of trafficking and survivors of GBV. A similar training was previously held in Garowe in February 2015.

“Sensitizing journalists to their role is critical in ensuring media coverage of victims of trafficking and survivors of GBV is grounded on the human rights-based approach. TV, newspapers, internet, radio greatly influence the perceptions and attitudes of listeners. The media is an important tool that will help address and create awareness about human rights abuses,” said Gerard Waite, IOM Somalia Chief of Mission.

“Although GBV and human trafficking are two distinct issues, they are closely intertwined. Journalists need to understand human trafficking and GBV to enable them address the two issues distinctly and comprehensively,” he added.

Mohamud Ahmed Warsame, Regional Director of the Ministry of Information, Communication, Posts, Culture and Heritage in Bossaso, Bari Region, urged the participants to make use of what they had learnt in the training in their future work and also pass the knowledge on to their colleagues.

For more information, please contact IOM Somalia, Julia Hartlieb, Tel: +254 731 988 846, Email: jhartlieb@iom.int or Ruth Mbugua Tel: +254 710 366 128, Email: rmbugua@iom.int