THE Zimbabwe Journalism Educators Network (ZIJEN) on Tuesday hosted female media students from local higher learning institutions for a training to equip the young media practitioners with leadership skills.
The three-day training is being conducted in partnership with FOJO Media Institute, with an aim to promote women's participation in the media.
The training, which was running under the theme Empowering Educators, Inspiring Journalists, is targeting final year and postgraduate female journalism students from Great Zimbabwe University (GZU), the National University of Science and Technology, and Harare Polytechnic College.
The training, dubbed Women Leaders of Tomorrow, focuses on equipping participants with leadership, communication and strategic thinking skills essential for navigating the male-dominated media industry in Zimbabwe.
Swedish media expert and former Fojo Media Institute executive director Kersti Forsberg is leading the training.
During the training, Forsberg challenged participants to adopt values that foster personal and professional growth.
“As a woman, be impeccable with your word,” she said. “Don’t take anything personally, avoid assumptions and always do your best.
She urged attendees to embrace authenticity and resilience in their careers.
- Media students get leadership training
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The programme also features local trainers from various institutions who are mentoring participants and facilitating discussions on gender equality, ethical journalism and leadership strategies.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, ZIJEN president Golden Maunganidze, who is also a lecturer at GZU, said the initiative was a step towards rebalancing gender dynamics in Zimbabwean newsrooms.
“We are grooming women who are in their final year and master’s programmes to become confident leaders,” Maunganidze said.
“This is about learning from others, building networks and preparing them to take up leadership roles in the media sector.”
He added that empowering women in journalism was not only beneficial to industry, but also to communities that relied on diverse and inclusive storytelling.
The programme is expected to bring a new wave of female leadership in Zimbabwe’s media sector, encouraging young women to claim their space and influence in the newsroom and beyond.
