AFRICANEWS

ChildRights

Lesotho

Children petition media on content

For the first time children in Lesotho want to be involved in the production of media products that target them. It was a request made during this year's World Press Freedom Day.

Some fifty children representing the views of minors in Lesotho on World Press Freedom Day petitioned the media, the minister of communications and UNICEF to allow them have their say in the production of media programmes about them. They demanded that they be part of the production team of children's programmes, be given a chance to say what they want to hear, see and read, that they should have special programmes and newspapers where they could air their views.

By so doing, they declared that they were joining the global movement for children and support for the UNICEF-led �Say Yes for Children� rights campaign. In their vision, they saw themselves presenting children's programmes like Yo-TV of South Africa.

According to Lawrence Keketso, member of the interim committee of the Media Institute of Lesotho (MILES), this request was in line with a two-year old quest by his group to see an involvement in media of those who did not get their views represented in the press. Members of MILES has undertaken walkabouts in the mountains canvassing the idea of media freedom, raising awareness about the work of the media and introducing media products to disadvantaged rural populations and herd boys.

Keketso identified the children gathered and those of Lesotho as part of these disadvantaged groups saying they had seen it fit to honour children this 10th Anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration for Media Freedom. He challenged the minister of communications, Nyane Mphafi to finalise work on a MILES drafted media policy for the country and UNICEF chief in Maseru, Tibebbu Haile-Selassie to reintroduce a radio programme called �Children in the media.�

Haile-Selassie took up the challenge and added that he would like to see MILES allow children participate in decision making of media issues that affect them. He promised UNICEF would advocate children's participation. He also launched a report co-authored for the World Press Freedom Day by UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, Director-General of UNESCO, Ko�chiro Matsuura and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson in which he congratulated the government of Lesotho for having progressively liberated the media. UNICEF also participated in the production of the document. �In other countries the media is not free as in Lesotho such that government allowed the media to report on events without being interrupted,� said the UNICEF boss.

There was also some local input by associations like MILES and the Lesotho Media Women's Association (LEMEWA). The document showed that Lesotho children were more exposed to South African media messages and images. As a result, Haile-Selassie urged the Lesotho government to do more to bring children into the picture of what is happening around them. LEMEWA president, Violet Maraisane promised women reporters would from May 3 change the way they had been treating children in the media. �We agree we haven't really been giving justice to the way we have been reporting children's issues,� she said.

Minister Mphafi accepted the petition from the children saying it was a challenge they would have to face with enthusiasm, persistence and love. He announced that government was moving towards a regulated environment of the media where parliament had passed an amendment to the Lesotho Telecommunications Authority Act to cover regulation of broadcasting. His ministry was finalising work on the media policy �which will be followed by the relevant legal framework.�

As an association of women in the media, LEMEWA aimed to promote and enhance the role of media women in the liberation and development of women in the country. Maraisane said they believed the best way to get closer to these women would be by doing something for their children as �the way to a woman's heart is through her child.� She further declared they would launch a fight against stereotypes that portrayed women as sex objects, weak and un-innovative people. �There is lack of gender sensitivity in articles and programmes on matters to do with domestic violence and abuse, sexual harassment and discrimination as well as marital rape,� said Maraisane. She implored the media to show women as positive and active participants in public life and women media workers to go beyond just covering stories about what important persons had said but to go deeper and say what it means for the people.

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