Africa-Press – Lesotho. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is currently equipping the media practitioners with the skills of trade on sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR).
The three days’ workshop which commenced on Wednesday will end today. Speaking of the objective of the training, UNFPA’s Communication Officer Violet Maraisane said it is envisaged to enhance
2gether4SRHR visibility and to engage media practitioners to report on SRHR
issues “consistently” and “factually”. Established in 2018, 2gether4SRHR is a joint United Nations regional programme that is implemented by its four agencies: Joined
United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), UNFPA, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organisation (WHO) to support the government of Lesotho.
It is supported by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). It is envisaged to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights of all people, particularly the adolescent girls, young
people, and key populations. This Programme also aspires to fast-track the realisation of the 2030 targets of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) especially Goal No. 3, which is about improvement of the health and well-being
for all at all ages, and SDG 5, which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Maraisane further revealed the UNFPA’s planned partnership with the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), the
relationship which will see the two join forces on advocacy campaigns. This campaign, she said, will have three components namely: capacity building for
journalists, field trip and journalists’ awards to be held at the end of November or later in December. UNFPA’s SRHR Coordinator Blandinah Motaung said SRHR
should be comprehensive. “Sexual health is an integral part of overall health, well-being and quality of life,” she said. Motaung also highlighted that the programme inspires
the government to create an “enabling” legal and policy environment. One of the participants, Ithabeleng Qhasho who is the news anchor and reporter at Bokamoso FM said the training will help enhance her reporting. She also highlighted that this workshop will capacitate her to completely report effectively on the SRHR issues.