Selected from across the country, a 25-member group of female environmental journalists has been constituted to focus on climate change reporting and to highlight problems faced by women folk in the wake of climate induced disasters. Climate Action Center and Green Media Initiatives, a non-governmental organization dedicated to training journalists on environmental and climate change issues have jointly constituted the group. CEO of Green Media Initiatives, Shabina Faraz was of the view that the group will serve as a platform for female journalists to work on climate change, where their voices could become a powerful force reaching policymakers, ensuring that women have a central role in climate change prevention policies. Sharing his views, Director of the Climate Action Center, Yasir Hussain noted that he has been working for launching of Female Media Cohort for Climate Change environmental protection for the last three decades. In early 90s, environmental news was scarce because it wasn’t considered a specialized beat; only one or two stories would get coverage, comments Yasir. He explained that during those times, they would send daily news in the form of a newsletter to international media via email, as it was challenging to disseminate news back then.

Dean School of Media Sciences at Alama Iqbal University, Dr. Yasmeen Farooqui welcoming formation of female cohort stated that having more women involved in reporting will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the environment. She also announced holding of a workshop on digital media for female journalists at national level in near future. Senior journalist Kamal Siddiqui praised the formation of the Female Cohort for Climate Change, calling it a welcome initiative. He highlighted that Pakistani issues are underreported and often not covered at all, including environmental issues and related changes. Kamal Siddiqui pointed out that environmental degradation in Pakistan affects women the most and therefore, women should report on these issues as they can gather information more effectively. Along with newspapers, there is now a need for digital media, and more importantly, these news stories should be highlighted on social media. Farahnaz Zahidi Moazzam, the Pakistan editor of the international organization Dialogue Earth, emphasized importance of investigative journalism.

She stated that obtaining data or statistics is a significant challenge for investigative journalists. Clearly, without credible data, it is impossible to demonstrate the accuracy of the impacts of climate change. She also mentioned that a good understanding of both science and technology is essential for better reporting on climate change. Moreover, more women should come forward, as they tend to view issues from a deeper and different perspective. Manzah Siddiqui, a renowned vlogger stressed the need for comprehensive investigative reporting on climate change. Rafi-ul-Haq, an environmental expert, emphasized the importance of female reporters in environmental reporting and highlighted the need for accurate data. He provided numerous examples to illustrate the challenges Pakistan will face regarding climate change in the future, stressing that active media is essential to address these challenges, and this hope rests with the women of cohort. The event saw a large number of female journalists in attendance, who collectively committed to working together on climate change and environmental issues.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan