Getting the information is always a challenge for female journalists in Vanuatu.
29-year-old Sports Journalist at the Daily Post Vanuatu, Adele Willie says most of the people prefer to speak to male reporters.
“Most of the challenges I face as a reporter are sometimes when going out for an interview or even just conducting phone interviews, interviewees usually delay the interview schedules and end up not giving the interview.”
“And this usually affects my work as I don’t get the information I wanted to be able to finish or make my story balanced,” she said.
Willie, who is a single parent, sees the challenges of being turned away as a source of motivation to keep working to provide for son.
“My work motivates me. It’s unique in a way of serving the public. I love finding out new information and letting the public know through my stories.”
“I also love working with my workmates. It’s a team of people that are driven and eager to get out there and getting the information that the people needs to know,” she said.
She is one of the five female journalists working for Daily Post Vanuatu.
Jeneza Moli, who is a Sports Journalist at the Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation shared the same sentiments as Willie.
“We are often turned down when requesting for interviews for our story. Most people prefer to give interviews to male reporters.”
But such issues have not stopped her from achieving better in her field of occupation.
“I keep working and now aiming to learn sports commentary and hopefully be the first female commentator in Vanuatu,” she added.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has partnered with ABC International Development in setting up a Women in News and Sports (WINS) initiative.
The initiative that started in 2016, is a training and mentoring program that provides female journalists in the Pacific and Asia with the tools to carve out a career in the male dominated world of sports media.
The recent WINS workshop was held in Fiji last month where five female sports journalists from PNG, Fiji and Vanuatu were part of the program.
