Women encouraged to gain technical knowledge in media work

The Creative Director and Founder of Cedar Femme (CeFem) Media, Regina Odigie-Olatayo, has urged women in the media to gain technical knowledge in the field.

She said women who acquire tech­nical knowledge within the media landscape have the opportunity of securing better jobs while embarking on entrepreneurial ventures in the media industry.

She said this at the maiden edition of the (CeFeM) Media Skills for HER Initiative held in Accra last week Friday.

The programme is a free training workshop aimed at empowering young women in Africa with essential media production skills.

The programme is focused on addressing the gender gap in Africa’s media industry by providing hands-on training in smartphone media pro­duction, filmmaking, digital market­ing, video production, photography, lighting, sound production, business of media, communication, and drone piloting.

It is also designed to foster digital literacy, economic independence, and gender equality through practical experience.

Ms Odigie-Olatayo identified a sig­nificant gap in operational media skills among women, saying many women were unaware of the opportunities available behind the scenes.

She stated that her own challenges in media production motivated her to create this initiative to empower more women to venture into operational media roles.

“The Media Skills for HER Initiative is not just a workshop but a movement to open women’s minds to the vast opportunities in media.

“Women have long been relegated to limited roles in front of the cam­era, but this initiative aims to change that by highlighting the numerous possibilities behind the camera,” Mrs Odigie-Olatayo added.

Ms Odigie-Olatayo stated that these skills could lead to economic indepen­dence and entrepreneurial ventures, enabling women to produce their own content, create films, and build media businesses.

Touching on the programme, Ms Odi­gie-Olatayo said the comprehensive curriculum ensures participants gain confidence and competence to enter and excel in the media industry.

She said due to the success of the workshop, it would be held bi-month­ly, in an attempt to reach more young women across the country and other African countries, saying the pro­gramme had attracted participants from beyond Ghana.

“The workshop’s success has prompted plans to hold it bimonthly, expanding its reach to more young women across Ghana and other African countries because it also attracted participants from beyond Ghana, mak­ing it a Pan-African event,” she said.

Ms Odigie-Olatayo therefore called for support from individuals and corporate organisations to sustain and expand the programme.

 By Raissa Sambou