Female journalists in South Sudan are seeking greater access to professional opportunities after completing training programmes. They argue that certificates alone are not enough and are urging media organisations and partners to provide platforms where they can apply and share the skills they have acquired. Emmanuela Joyce, a participant in the first cohort of a Training of Trainers programme, made the call during a ceremony awarding certificates of completion to 16 female journalists.
The Training of Trainers programme was organised by the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) and its partners to strengthen women's participation in media training, mentorship, and leadership. Joyce urged UJOSS and its partners to provide trained female journalists with opportunities to apply their knowledge through workshops, mentorship programmes, and other media activities. She emphasised that an opportunity demonstrates what a journalist can do, rather than just a certificate recognising what they have completed.
Joyce also appealed for fairness in the selection of participants for professional opportunities, saying selection should be based on knowledge, ability, commitment, and professionalism rather than personal connections. She described the Training of Trainers programme as more than a certificate-awarding exercise, saying it had strengthened participants' confidence and prepared them to become trainers, mentors, and role models within the media sector.
Facilitator Marina Modi described the programme as a "journey of growth," saying it was helping to increase the number of South Sudanese women serving as trainers and facilitators in the media sector. Modi encouraged the newly trained journalists not to rely solely on their certificates but to demonstrate their skills through practical work and by sharing their knowledge with other media practitioners.
Oyet Patrick, President of UJOSS, congratulated the participants and assured them that the union would continue providing professional opportunities where possible. He said the newly trained journalists would be given priority for future training opportunities, while acknowledging that international opportunities for journalists remain limited. He encouraged the trainers to take the initiative and begin conducting training themselves.
Joyce Maker, representing Norwegian People's Aid (NPA), congratulated the trainers and commended their commitment to the programme. Maker said NPA values partnerships that promote learning, knowledge-building, and capacity development among media professionals. She urged the graduates to apply their newly acquired knowledge in their professional work and use their skills to contribute to positive change in South Sudan's media sector.
The Training of Trainers programme is part of efforts to address concerns raised by female journalists about the limited participation of women as trainers and facilitators in media capacity-building programmes. UJOSS aims to include the trainers in future workshops, with Oyet announcing that one slot must go to one of the newly trained journalists when the union has a workshop.
Key points
- Female journalists in South Sudan are calling for greater access to professional opportunities after completing training programmes.
- The Training of Trainers programme aims to strengthen women's participation in media training, mentorship, and leadership in South Sudan.
- UJOSS and its partners are working to provide platforms for trained female journalists to apply their skills and share their knowledge with other media practitioners.
