Reporting Gender Based Violence: A Handbook for Journalists

Published by Inter Press Service (IPS) Africa, this handbook for reporters is designed to encourage and support sustained media coverage of gender-based violence (GBV) beyond the annual campaign Sixteen Days of Activism against Gender Violence. The handbook is divided into twelve sections which each include an overview of a key issue, some facts and statistics, and a sample feature article to provide an example of best practice and/or what to consider when writing about GBV. The publication also includes discussion questions for facilitators who plan to use this handbook in training.

The guide contains the following twelve sections:

• Custom, tradition and religion
• Domestic violence
• Sexual gender-based violence
• Femicide
• Sex work and trafficking
• Sexual harassment
• Sexual gender based violence in armed conflict
• HIV and AIDS
• Child abuse
• The role of men in combating violence against women
• The criminal justice system
• The cost of gender-based violence

In addition, there is a brief section that looks at ways of coping with the trauma of reporting on GBV and a glossary of terms used throughout the handbook.