The Initiative for Women and Youth Empowerment (IWYE) has trained journalists and media practitioners in Liberia on family planning, contraception and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), with a focus on strengthening accurate and responsible reporting on reproductive health issues.
The media training was conducted under the ACCESS FOR ALL Project – Phase 2, an initiative aimed at promoting access to contraceptives and equitable sexual and reproductive health services across Liberia.
The engagement brought together journalists and media practitioners to strengthen their capacity to develop accurate, informative and responsible media messages on family planning and SRHR, while improving public understanding of reproductive health issues.
Speaking during the training, IWYE Founder and Executive Director Musu Davis said the media has an important role to play in ensuring that women, girls and young people have access to accurate information that can support informed decision-making.
Davis said IWYE is a women- and youth-focused organization committed to promoting empowerment, participation, access to opportunities and greater attention to issues affecting women and young people.
She said the organization works through advocacy, capacity building, stakeholder engagement and community-focused initiatives to help create a society in which women and young people are informed, empowered and able to participate meaningfully in decisions affecting their health, rights, well-being and future.
According to Davis, the ACCESS FOR ALL Project – Phase 2 is focused on advocating for increased access to quality and affordable contraceptive and sexual and reproductive health services, while strengthening advocacy and stakeholder engagement toward Liberia’s FP2030 commitments.
She said IWYE considers the issue a critical development agenda because access to accurate information and quality reproductive health services directly affects the well-being and future of women, girls, young people, families and communities.
Davis said the organization is advocating for stronger government commitment to family planning and sexual and reproductive health, increased family planning financing within the Ministry of Health budget, improved access to quality contraceptive services and greater availability of sexual and reproductive health services for women and girls across Liberia.
IWYE Executive Director identified five guiding principles of the ACCESS FOR ALL Project as Access, Equity, Health, Rights and Empowerment, saying the principles reflect the organization’s vision of a Liberia where women, girls, young people and communities can access accurate information and quality reproductive health services without unnecessary barriers, discrimination or stigma.
Davis challenged journalists participating in the training to view their role beyond simply acquiring information, urging them to use their platforms to strengthen informed public dialogue on family planning and reproductive health.
She said responsible media reporting could contribute to greater public understanding of family planning and SRHR, promote accountability around Liberia’s FP2030 commitments and amplify calls for increased investment in services needed by women and girls.
“Let us use the power of the media to inform. Let us use information to empower. And let us use our collective voices to advocate for ACCESS FOR ALL,” Davis said.
A major session was conducted with a presentation centered on messaging and content sharing on reproductive health and rights along with accessible and safer use of contraceptives.
The training forms part of IWYE’s broader health-related activities under the ACCESS FOR ALL Project, with the organization seeking to strengthen advocacy and public engagement around reproductive health services and family planning in Liberia.
