When you discover that there are children here,That they have rights that they should have,But they have no access to their rights, or those rights are not provided to them.
Unique Program for Child Rights Sensitive Press Coverage in Yemen”The program is like that light coming from the end of the tunnel, after traditional journalism has been adding – unintentionally – an additional violation of the rights and privacy of children in each and every coverage due to the lack of principles and standards regulating this type of coverage. However, this reality will change now,” says Bassam Al-Qadi, a participant in the training workshop on media skills and guidelines for child right sensitive reporting organized by the Studies and Economic Media Center (SEMC) in partnership with UNICEF.
The training program, which represents a unique experience in the current crisis in Yemen, consists of three training workshops, which combined the online training methodology and direct training. 63 Journalists from 15 governorates ( Sana’a , Aden , Hadramout, Taiz , Al-Dhalea , Abyan, Lahj, Amran, Thamar, Mahwit , Hudeidah , Al-Jawf , Shabwa, and Mareb ) attended these seven-day training workshops.The training program tackled important topics for journalists, such as writing reports and stories on child rights issues, skills of interviewing survivors of violence, witnesses, officials and organizations, and steps of preparing and organizing awareness campaigns and media advocacy of children’s issues and rights.
SEMC executive director, Muhammad Ismail, says that child rights sensitive journalism is an urgent priority, especially in the current context of conflict and the increasing intensity of violations. He adds that Yemeni journalists are in dire need of this type of journalism, especially since the press has raised many issues in a way that doubles the tragedy of child victims of violence.
Ismail explains that the training program includes a plan to produce press materials that take into account the guidelines and ethics of child rights sensitive journalism. It enables a group of Yemeni journalists to acquire and apply reporting skills related to children’s issues and rights in Yemen, in a way that contributes to creating a journalism that takes into account the guidelines, ethics and standards of child rights sensitive journalism. This is the first step of establishing this important type of journalism in Yemen.
The training program is aimed to provide trainees with media techniques and skills in accordance with the guidelines and ethics of child-sensitive journalism for the first time in Yemen.For his part, Media and Communication Officer at UNICEF, Kamal Al-Wazeeza, describes the training program as gaining special importance in the current circumstances. He states that it meets a real need for children, journalists and the Yemeni society in general, in light of the exceptional situation Yemen has been living for more than 5 years during which the suffering of children has exacerbated.
Al-Wazeeza points out that it is important that journalists possess the knowledge and skills related to the guidelines and ethics of child-sensitive journalism, so that children are not exposed to any physical or moral harm.
Al-Wazeeza adds, “Through this program, which is implemented in cooperation with the Studies and Economic Media Center, we seek to enhance the presence of child rights issues in the Yemeni press, by building the capacity of journalists and supporting the production of press materials.”
Launching the ‘Journalists for a Safe Childhood’ NetworkAt the end of the training program, SEMC launched the ‘Journalists for a Safe Childhood’ Network.The Network aims to support efforts related to the protection of children, preserving their rights, and respecting their privacy during press coverage.
The Network constitutes a channel joining together the efforts of journalists and media institutions in Yemen. The goal is to initiate a wider media coverage of children’s issues and rights, especially in light of the intensification of the conflict that has resulted in high rates of violation of children’s rights and doubled children’s suffering and dropout from education over the last five years.
Trainer Yassin Al-Zakri, who was in charge of the online training, stated, “The training program contributes to providing a protection cover and a mechanism for caring for children and their rights, by providing Yemeni journalists with reporting skills that respect the principles and ethics of child-sensitive journalism in particular and human rights sensitive journalism in general.
“Yasmin Munir, a journalist who participated in the training, said: “Through this training we acquired a lot of information and skills. We realized how the issue does not stop at just coverage. Rather, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the standards and ethics of child-sensitive journalism to avoid exposing children or any of their family members to danger.”She added, “We must also carry out complementary awareness programs and organize advocacy campaigns whenever the need arises.
“Mohammad Amin, another journalist participating in a training workshop, pointed out the importance of the workshop, saying, “The training workshop was important to me and to all fellow participating journalists, especially in light of the increasing violation of children’s rights and privacy in Yemen.
This becomes evidently clear in light of the complete absence of press coverage that adheres to the ethics of child rights sensitive journalism as well as the journalistic skills necessary to promote, support and enhance these rights in the media and public opinion.
SEMC is a non-profit civil society organization promoting a successful and transparent economic system through training and raising the citizens’ awareness of economic issues, and enhancing transparency and citizen participation in decision-making. It promotes professional media and economic empowerment of youth and women and enhancing their role in peacebuilding.
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