Guwahati, Sept 20: The Assam Women Journalists’ Forum (AWJF) hosted its first training session on “Reporting Climate Change and Gender” on Thursday in collaboration with Gauhati University’s Department of Communication and Journalism. This initiative aims to improve the skills of journalists in addressing important environmental and gender issues.

The session highlighted the impact of climate change in Assam and the North East, where floods and earthquakes are common. Participants learned about the specific skills needed to report on these challenges effectively.

Dr. Bharati Bharali, an Assistant Professor at Gauhati University, welcomed attendees and praised AWJF for the initiative. Durba Ghosh, AWJF president and PTI Bureau Chief, pointed out the lack of female editors in Assam’s media and expressed hope for future changes.

The event included contributions from Jayantakrishna Sarmah, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, and Dhrubajyoti Saharia, Secretary of University Classes.

Experienced journalists, including Mubina Akhtar and Ratna Bharali, shared stories that illustrated the effects of climate change on local livelihoods. Akhtar discussed the risks to Assam’s Muga silk industry, while Bharali focused on issues of displacement in rural areas.

AWJF vice president Samim Sultana addressed the need for equal pay for women in journalism and emphasized the importance of gender-sensitive reporting. Independent journalist Chandrani Sinha spoke about promoting local stories globally and the relationship between political stability and climate financing, citing Bangladesh as an example.

This training session reflects AWJF’s commitment to connecting academic training with real-world journalism, equipping students to handle the challenges of modern reporting. The forum aims to support and mentor women in the media industry in Assam.