Training, mentorship crucial to increasing women’s participation in media – Cedar Femme Media Creative Director

THE Creative Director of Cedar Femme Media, Ms Regina Olatayo, has stated that limited access to training, mentorship and resources in media production-related roles has lowered women’s participation in the media industry despite their interest in careers in the industry.

She made this statement during a two-day capacity-building workshop under Cedar Femme’s Media Skills for Her Initiative in Accra on Thursday.

The aim of the workshop was to provide participants with hands-on training and understanding of the digital economy, while positioning them to take advantage of growing opportunities in the creative and digital media space. The beneficiaries of the programme, who numbered, were trained in Canva, public speaking, and social media content creation to help them build profitable online businesses.

The Creative Director said the initiative was created to bridge the gender gap in media production by empowering women with relevant technical skills and professional exposure. Ms Olatayo explained that the training was timely due to the growing influence of technology, social media, and artificial intelligence (AI).

She added that the long-term goal was to establish a women-focused media academy to train and place more women in media organisations. The Founder of the Teacherpreneurship Network, Antonia Senam Fesu, praised the initiative for equipping women and girls with practical skills in media. She said she previously attended the programme as a student but returned as a trainer to support the initiative and empower young women. She stressed that empowering women supported national development and family stability and urged participants to practice consistently and market their skills.

Some of the participants expressed appreciation for the training, describing it as timely and beneficial, particularly for young women who aspired to pursue careers in filmmaking, broadcast production, and digital content creation. Minette Kwa said the workshop had taught her how to use Canva to design posters and create lesson materials, videos, and exercises for learners.

BY PRINCE ADDO FRIMPONG

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