The Sunday Mail
Nokuthula Dube
FIVE top female journalists from Zimpapers (1980) Limited were capacitated with advanced leadership skills, after successfully completing the Women in News Advanced Leadership Accelerator (ALA) programme.
The Sunday Mail Editor Victoria Ruzvidzo; The Sunday Mail Assistant Editor Roselyne Sachiti; The Herald Managing Editor Ruth Butaumocho; Capitalk 100.4 FM Station Manager Nyaradzo Makombe, and The Manica Post Editor Wendy Nyakurerwa-Matinde received their prestigious certificates in Harare last week.
The Women in News ALA Programme is an initiative of the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA). The intensive nine-month-long career and leadership programme is open to women journalists, including editors, working in Africa.
It entails a combination of coaching, training, mentoring and networking.
Initially, the class consisted of over 70 students, but only 48 managed to endure the nine months of demanding training.
The students were required to balance work pressure, family and demands of the training.
Speaking during the graduation, WAN-IFRA executive director for media development Melanie Walker said the programme roots leadership in women.
“This training is the best in-class sector-building leadership development programme for women media professionals on the continent and arguably globally,” she said.
“We are all aware of the statistics with regard to women at the helm of newspaper groups, radio stations and broadcast corporations, that there are just a few women leaders, and you all are the change.”
She encouraged the pioneer class of 2023 to inspire the upcoming generation of female journalists to take leadership to the next level and continue breaking the glass ceiling.
“You will be the ones to inspire and lead others to take up the leadership challenge and make it easier,” said Walker.
WAN-IFRA Women in News deputy executive director and Africa region director Jane Godia said all the 48 women who graduated exhibited resilience when they decided to re-engineer their career by joining the programme.
“Those who are graduating today are those who could persevere. Amongst the group initially picked for the pioneer accelerator programme are a few who fell off. Some because the pressure was too much, colliding with their work, some because they had not mastered the art of multi-tasking,” she said.
Zodiak Broadcasting Station acting general manager Mr Grey Kazako said, on average, 95 percent of participants have experienced phenomenal change at a personal and career level.
“I feel very humbled to be associated with this programme that is transforming and impacting the lives of female journalists across Africa, as we strive to promote gender balance in media leadership.
“The intensive nine-month career and leadership programme for journalists and editors working in Africa, the Arab region and Southeast Asia has impacted more than 1 800 women.
“And it has recorded impressive results.
“Two in three women who have gone through it have been promoted within six months of completing the programme.”
Mr Kazako thanked WAN-IFRA’s efforts to increase gender balance in newsrooms, and ensure female media professionals stay in the industry and excel in their careers.
Added Mr Kazako:
“Above all, go and make a mark in the media, as it is our belief that after this programme, you are now the change-makers that the media needs.”
