PESHAWAR: Selected from across the country, a 25-member group of female environmental journalists has been constituted to focus on climate change reporting and highlight problems women folk face in the wake of climate-induced disasters.
Climate Action Center and Green Media Initiatives, a non-governmental organization dedicated to training journalists on environmental and climate change issues have jointly constituted the group.
CEO of Green Media Initiatives, Shabina Faraz believed that the group would serve as a platform for female journalists to work on climate change, where their voices could become a powerful force reaching policymakers, ensuring that women have a central role in climate change prevention policies.
Sharing his views, the Director of the Climate Action Center, Yasir Hussain noted that he has been working for launching Female Media Cohort for Climate Change environmental protection for the last three decades.
In the early 90s, environmental news was scarce because it wasn’t considered a specialized beat; only one or two stories would get coverage, comments Yasir. He explained that during those times, they would send daily news in the form of a newsletter to international media via email, as it was challenging to disseminate news back then.
Dean School of Media Sciences at Alama Iqbal University, Dr. Yasmeen Farooqui welcoming formation of female cohort stated that having more women involved in reporting will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the environment.
She also announced holding of a workshop on digital media for female journalists at national level in near future. Senior journalist Kamal Siddiqui praised the formation of the Female Cohort for Climate Change, calling it a welcome initiative.
He highlighted that Pakistani issues are underreported and often not covered at all, including environmental issues and related changes. Kamal Siddiqui pointed out that environmental degradation in Pakistan affects women the most and therefore, women should report on these issues as they can gather information more effectively.
Along with newspapers, there is now a need for digital media, and more importantly, these news stories should be highlighted on social media. Farahnaz Zahidi Moazzam, the Pakistan editor of the international organization Dialogue Earth, emphasized importance of investigative journalism.
Manzah Siddiqui, a renowned vlogger stressed the need for comprehensive investigative reporting on climate change. Rafiul Haq, an environmental expert, emphasized the importance of female reporters in environmental reporting and highlighted the need for accurate data.
