Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre has called for a stronger partnership with the media to strengthen the fight against rape and harassment of women in rural communities.

The women group made the call in Port Harcourt during a one-day media training for journalists in Rivers State on Gender Violence Reporting. Speaking, the Executive Director of Kebetkache, Emem Okon, said policy implementation for gender-based issues in communities have not been effective, pointing out that there is lack of awareness on how the menace could be handled.

Okon said the essence of the training four journalist was to mobilise the media to report issues of gender-based violence as to improve and increase understanding of what the it is, adding that effective reportage would enable women know how to approach the gender issues.

She said: “There are a lot of reports on sexual violence and rape and that has encouraged a lot of survivors to come out and overcome that stigma to say I was raped or I have been harassed.

“Also, by engaging the media it’s going to improve the way the authorities respond to these issues, yes, there are existing legislations but what has been the rate of enforcement of that legislation, especially, at the communities.