Background
The MenEngage Africa “Khopotso Bodibe Media Award” was established to honour the remarkable life of Sonke’s former Communications and Media Specialist, the late Kgopotso Bodibe, who also supported MenEngage Africa members and recognized journalists in the region who work tirelessly in the field of human rights. Bodibe also worked for broadcast Radio Channel Africa, a platform he used to tackle subjects like as HIV/AIDS and female genital mutilation to raise awareness.
He was a Journalist of note and excelled in communicating the MEA’s work, in collaboration with the media. Furthermore, Bodibe expanded MEA’s social media presence and successfully launched the MEA website. He unfortunately, succumbed to COVID19 in 2021. However, his work continues to be celebrated in the human rights and HIV/AIDS sectors.
Introduction
One of the MenEngage Africa Strategic Plan 2019-2023 objective is to attain an increased body of evidence and knowledge emerging from MEA members and partners on promising practices to transform. Gender-sensitive reporting or using gender transformative approaches to reporting are examples of many that MenEngage Africa uses to achieve transformation. MenEngage Africa uses media as a tool for social change. Working with the media is critical to realising the MenEngage Africa vision of an Africa where all people are equal and free from the impact of destructive gender and sexual norms, as well as in the context of democratic societies where healthy and happy relationships, gender justice, and human rights are enjoyed, promoted, and protected. For the past four years of the MenEngage Africa Strategic Plan 2019-2023 implementation, MEA partners have strengthened capacity of journalists, human rights defenders, writers, and many others working in the human rights space to be sensitive in their reporting and to use a gender transformative lens when writing or reporting. These principles are critical in the fields of media production and human rights. Gender must be considered at all stages of news production, from the editorial department, where decisions on which stories to cover are made, to the field, where stories are gathered. MEA is especially eager to collaborate with journalists and newsmakers to ensure that the five key themes identified by MEA as priority thematic areas for the 2019-2023 strategic plan are reported through the lens of gender transformative approaches, namely:
- Gender-Based Violence
- Challenging Homophobia and Advocating for LQBTQI Rights
- SRHR And HIV And Aids
- Children’s Rights and Gender Equality, Positive Parenting through the Mencare Africa Campaign
- Youth Leadership and Intergenerational Dialogue
It is against this backdrop that MenEngage Africa wishes to celebrate journalists, reporters, bloggers, content creators who were trained by MEA partners over the past four years working in the human rights space especially, in the above-mentioned key thematic areas for MEA. We are seeking nominations and applications for MEA Journalists/Writer of the Year. The award ceremony will be held virtually in December during the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence against women and children.
Objective
To celebrate or award an individual(s) who has contributed towards attaining gender justice by using GTA in their reporting or activism.
Rules and Eligibility
- The Award is open to all journalists (Print, broadcast, Digital Media as well as Photography) for published or broadcast news stories based on key MEA thematic areas in an African context, during the 2019-2023 period.
- Relevance: Articles should be about the African continent and relate to the MEA thematic areas
- Proof of publication: Submissions should be made in a of a link/URL.
- Reliability and accuracy: Articles that are submitted must be accurate and well researched, without seeking to misinform or misrepresent facts.
- Geography: Journalists must be citizens of any country in Africa and reside on the African continent.
- Write a 200-word motivation for your entry
The submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by a committee of experts from the MEA Communications and Advocacy Steering Committee.
Submission deadline: 25 November 2023
Contact: Amukelani Chauke | africa@menengage.org
NB: Only the successful candidates will be contacted.
Technical requirements
- Entrants must confirm that it is their own work and agree to it being used for publicity,
- Individuals send as much evidence of their don from 2019-2023.
- Non-English entries are welcomed
- Entries must be submitted electronically.
Prize money will be awarded to three journalists, ranked first, second, and third.
Judging criteria
- Originality
- Creativity
- Newsworthiness
- Accuracy
- Impact
- Use of medium
- Overcoming barriers / resilience / tenacity
About MenEngage Africa
MenEngage Africa is part of a global alliance of organisations that engage men and boys to achieve gender equality, promote health, reduce violence and to question and address the structural barriers to achieving gender equality. The alliance consists of 22 country networks spread across East, West, Central and Southern Africa. MEA members work collectively toward advancing gender justice, human rights and social justice in key thematic areas including Sexual Reproductive Health.