Ambon Journalists Empowered to Report on Sexual Violence with a Victim-Centered Perspective

Journalists play a strategic role in ensuring that victims of Gender-Based and Sexual Violence (GBSV) can access their rights fairly and with dignity. Through victim-centered coverage, the media can help build public understanding while promoting justice.

To strengthen this role, Yayasan IPAS Indonesia organized a Journalist Training on Reporting Gender-Based and Sexual Violence Cases, attended by 25 journalists from Ambon and Central Maluku, Maluku Province. This training took place from February 23–25 and was the first training in Ambon to specifically address the issue of sexual violence from a gender-sensitive journalism perspective.

The training materials covered basic understanding of gender and sexuality, reporting principles that respect the rights and privacy of victims, selecting appropriate sources, developing news angles and framing, and identifying risks in reporting GBSV cases.

One of the facilitators, Permata Adinda, noted that participant enthusiasm was quite high throughout the training. According to her, this enthusiasm arose because the training addressed the needs of journalists in Ambon, who previously had limited access to specialized learning spaces regarding sexual violence reporting.

“I believe that while the increase in understanding may vary from one participant to another, this workshop has provided them with the motivation to do more in the community, as well as honing empathy and sensitivity toward others, especially women and other vulnerable groups,” said Adinda.

Nevertheless, Adinda emphasized the importance of further reinforcement to refine the participants’ gender sensitivity, particularly through direct practice.

“Additionally, it seems the participants’ skills also need to be honed through writing practice and direct reporting. Programs such as fellowships with mentoring would likely be even more beneficial for the participants,” she added.

The impact of this training was directly felt by the participants. Christin Pesiwarissa, one of the participating journalists, expressed that the training changed her perspective on writing reports about sexual violence.

“This training changed my perspective to not rush when reporting, as not all victims of sexual violence are adults,” said Christin.

During the discussion sessions, participants also shared challenges often faced when reporting GBSV cases, ranging from a lack of understanding regarding victim assistance procedures and editorial policies to difficulties in finding relevant and safe sources for victims.