Zambia: As ZUJ prods women to break barriers

The Zambia Union of Journalists (ZUJ) has urged women in the country to persevere and break barriers people might put to inhibit their professional progression.

ZUJ general secretary Bob Sianjalika said yesterday in a statement to commemorate the International Women’s Day, which falls today, that as journalists, this day was important because it reminded the media and the entire world of the great work women were doing in the Zambian media industry.

“ZUJ takes this privilege to commend all the brave Zambian women in the media industry for their role and bravity to face challenges even in an environment that does not seem favourable,” Mr Sianjalika said.

Mr Sianjalika said Zambia was one of the leading countries in Africa that had a big number of women working as journalists and the union was pleased that the media profession had excelled as one where there were no longer barriers based on gender.

He said today, the media was proud to see women holding senior management positions.

Mr Sianjalika said March 8 should be a day to also look back at the many female journalists who had spent long hours from their families to ensure the nation was not starved of information.

Mr Sianjalika said women in the media had also not been spared from the violence against media personnel but that courage and endurance should not fade out as the indutsry was putting in place mechanisms to protect them.

- March 08, 2010 by Times Reporter

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Source: www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi (accessed on 09.03.2010)