A three-day capacity-building workshop was successfully concluded as part of the initiative funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), aimed at integrating gender perspectives into efforts to prevent violent extremism. This workshop, which built on insights gained from extensive research and focused on communities’ needs, was hosted from the 5th to the 7th of November 2024 in Nouakchott, Mauritania.
Following previous training sessions with national authorities and civil society leaders, this latest event brought together media professionals, including representatives from radio, television, print, and online media outlets. Through a three-day interactive programme, participants explored the role of media in shaping public perception and fostering resilience against violent extremism, with a specific emphasis on gender-sensitive reporting. This training empowered media professionals to recognize and address the systemic barriers to gender equality in the context of violent extremism and to adopt prevention-oriented strategies in their reporting.
Key Highlights:
- Addressing gender equality challenges: Participants engaged in discussions and practical exercises to understand how gender biases influence violent extremism narratives and how to challenge these biases constructively.
- Empowering media professionals as prevention actors: The workshop underscored the critical role of journalists as influencers in their communities and provided tools to support accurate and inclusive reporting on issues of violent extremism.
- Prioritizing integrity and objectivity in reporting: Trainers and participants engaged in rich discussions on the importance of terminology, the need to limit subjectivity in the choice of terms, and its impact on different target audiences.
UNICRI extends its heartfelt thanks to KOICA, CELLRAD (Antenne nationale de lutte contre la radicalisation et l’extrémisme violent), the Commissariat aux Droits de l'Homme, à l'Action humanitaire et aux relations avec la société civile, and the Ministry of Culture, Arts, Communication, and Parliamentary Relations, whose support made this initiative possible. Together, we are committed to advancing gender equality and building resilient, empowered communities.
For more information about UNICRI’s work on gender-based discrimination and the prevention of violent extremism in the Sahel region, please visit our dedicated page.
