Regional News of Saturday, 14 February 2004

Source: GNA

Journalist urged to protect vulnerable

Accra, Feb. 14, GNA - Ms Angela Dwemena-Aboagye, Executive Director of Ark Foundation, on Friday called on journalists to protect the vulnerable especially women and children.

She said the Domestic Violence Bill does not only seeks to protect spouses who are sexually violated, adding that, it covered any one within a domestic relationship who is sexually abused be it a mistress, house-help, cotenant, mother or child.

Ms Angela Dwemena-Aboagye said this when she opened a photo exhibition organized by the Foundation for Female Photojournalists (FFP) in Accra on the theme, "Celebrate the woman" as part of the Pre-Valentine's Day celebration to uphold the virtue of true love. It seeks to remind Ghanaians about the importance and potential of women and the need to hold them in high esteem.

She said journalists by the nature of their training are in a position to influence decisions that could be inimical to the underprivileged and vulnerable and stressed that, "if from time to time they come to understand the issues that are being raised they would be in a position to make a difference in the lives of the people in the society".

Ms. Mardey Ohui Ofoe, Executive Director of FFP, said exhibition was also to promote female photojournalists as development partners and to effectively advocate for the rights and empowerment of minority groups, especially women and the girl child-child through the development of their skills and the promotion of their works.

She called on men to reaffirm their love and commitment to women through their actions and said FFP would facilitate the practice of photojournalism for its members through the provision of logistics and human resource development.