Journalists across Africa must move beyond sensationalist headlines and take up their role as catalysts for change in addressing gender-based violence (GBV). This was the central message of the fraycollege webinar “Reporting GBV in Africa”, where keynote speaker Professor Rachel Jewkes called on the media to reframe GBV reporting to highlight resilience and solutions.
Hosted by fraycollege Programme Manager Brigitte Read and moderated by fraycollege CEO Mamaponya Motsai, the session brought together regional voices from across the continent: Celestine Gachuhi, Programme Manager at Sonke Gender Justice; Mariam Ileyemi, a Nigerian science journalist and researcher; Patricia Kisesi Tumuhairwe, journalist and gender trainer from Uganda; and Dr. Thandi Bombi, academic and GBV researcher from South Africa who all shared insights from their diverse contexts on centring survivor voices, improving newsroom practices, and recognising journalists as change agents.
With more than 250 registrations from 40 countries and a wider livestream audience on YouTube, the event underscored both the common challenges and opportunities for the media to play a transformative role in tackling GBV across the continent.
Media’s Power to Shift Social Norms
Representing GIZ’s Partnerships for the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence in Southern Africa (PFP), Begoña Castro Vázquez reminded participants that while GBV is a global issue, in South Africa the scale remains staggering: “Thirty-five and a half percent of women reported having experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime,” she noted, citing a national study. She outlined the government’s strategic plan on GBV and femicide, which runs until 2030, stressing that prevention depends on tackling harmful social norms and attitudes. “Mainstream media has the potential to facilitate this social shift — from just being aware of gender-based violence to making strides towards accountability,” she said.
Vázquez cautioned that “gender-blind reporting remains a challenge”, pointing to examples where stories trivialise survivors ’experiences or erase their voices. She described how GIZ, through the PFP programme and initiatives like Step It Up, has worked with media houses to train journalists, produce gender-sensitive manuals, and encourage institutions to commit to safer, more equitable practices. “Well-balanced, sensitive, and transformative narratives can impact society and public responses to GBV,” she emphasised, calling on journalists to tell stories with empathy and accuracy while challenging the structures that enable violence. “Let us work together to create a more informed and compassionate media landscape that supports survivors and promotes meaningful change.”
Beyond the Headlines
Professor Rachel Jewkes, Executive Scientist for Research Strategy and Intramural Unit at South African Medical Research Council, opened the discussion with a powerful reminder that journalists are not neutral bystanders.
“It’s impossible to describe the abuse of women at the hands of men in their lives, for the most part – although we recognize that women sometimes play a role in the abuse of women as well – without wanting to do something about it and to end the abuse of women in order to change the circumstances of the lives for women who experience it,” she said.
She warned against the media’s reliance on shocking stories without context: If all people ever saw were headlines about brutal deaths, they would be left with despair and a sense that violence was inevitable. “We must show that change is possible.”
Jewkes outlined several underreported dimensions of GBV that the media must prioritise:
• Journalists should not only focus on victims but also tell stories of survival and resilience.
• Reporting should include practical information about tools available to women. “Protection orders are not useless. They are an important plank of protection for women. Journalists should be helping women understand how they work.”
• Coverage must confront stigma and expose family dynamics that protect abusers. “We must report on the stigma women face when leaving violent men — and why families must stop shielding abusive men in their ranks.”
• The media can also help audiences imagine alternatives. “Many women don’t even know what a healthy relationship looks like. The media can help by showing alternatives.”
For Jewkes, the role of the press is inseparable from accountability.
“Journalism has an incredibly valuable role to play in keeping GBV in the public eye, in ensuring that communities and families blame the perpetrator and not the victim. Building an understanding of the root causes. Helping campaigns for action to address the root causes. And helping women experiencing GBV in their families understand more about what can be done and how to work together to live lives free from violence,” she said.
African Voices on the Online Frontlines
African Voices on the Online Frontlines
The panel that followed placed Jewkes’ framework into the lived realities of African newsrooms, offering practical and sometimes sobering reflections on the challenges facing reporters.
Kenya’s Celestine Gachuhi, who uses her TikTok platform to speak young women, urged journalists to approach GBV reporting with survivor dignity at the forefront.
She noted that media outlets often rush for headlines but miss opportunities to create empathy and solutions. She call called on journalists to support one another when facing online attacks: “I think it’s important that we create online communities of support, so that when one of us is attacked, we all speak out.”
She was supported by Ugandan journallist Patricia Kisesi Tumuhairwe who said “Online violence is real, and it silences women journalists. We’ve seen cases where women receive death threats, rape threats, simply for writing about GBV. “And I think media houses need to take this seriously. They need to provide digital security training, they need to provide psychosocial support. And most importantly, they need to stand publicly with their women journalists, not leave them isolated, said Tumuhairwe.
Nigerian journalist Mariam Ileyemi highlighted the importance of language. ““Gender is not only limited to women, so that’s why I always emphasize, if we’re talking about women and girls, violence against women and girls, we have to be specific. We have to continue emphasizing on violence against women and girls. Because gender is for both male and female,” she noted
From Uganda, Patricia Kisesi Tumuhairwe pointed to gaps in newsroom culture as many journalists were not training on how to report GBV ethically.
South African scholar Dr. Thandi Bombi said platforms needed to take responsibility too: “I want to add that we also need to shift the responsibility. Often the advice is, ‘be careful what you post,’ or ‘hide your profile.’ But that puts the burden on the journalist. The responsibility should be on perpetrators and on platforms,” she said. “So we need stronger accountability from social media companies, and from the state, to protect freedom of expression and women’s safety.”
A Pan-African Conversation
A Pan-African Conversation
Moderator Mamaponya Motsai guided a lively discussion that reflected both the diversity and the common challenges across the continent. Participants in the chat raised questions about newsroom pressures, safety of journalists covering GBV, and how to sustain attention beyond high-profile cases.
One participant asked how to balance urgency with accuracy. Jewkes responded:
“Accuracy must never be sacrificed. Even in the rush to publish, facts matter. If survivors feel misrepresented, you lose trust and you harm the very people you claim to help.”
Another asked about men’s roles in GBV reporting. Gachuhi replied that GBV was not a “woman’s beat” but affected everyone.
Global Reach, Local Relevance
With interest from accross Africa, the event underscored the urgency of building a transnational conversation on GBV journalism. Yet the speakers insisted that solutions must always be grounded locally.
As Ileyemi put it: “Yes, GBV is global. But each community has its own context.”
Journalism as a Force for Change
The discussion highlighted a powerful reminder that every editorial choice carries weight. As one speaker put it: “The stories you tell either entrench the status quo or help shift it. There is no neutral ground.” This call resonated across the panel, where participants stressed that the struggle against GBV cannot be won without the media’s active engagement.
Together, these reflections underscored the urgency of responsible, values-driven storytelling as a tool for social change.
The webinar, streamed on YouTube, marked the launch of a free online course on Reporting GBV produced by fraycollege with the support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
