Khadidja Ba wins first Women and Gender Equality Commission Media Prize

Khadidja Ba of Stabroek News has won the inaugural Women and Gender Equality Commission Media Prize, with fellow Stabroek News journalist Miranda La Rose taking second place and Danielle Swain of News Room Inc. placing third.

Ba was recognised for her feature on parents who lost children in the Mahdia dormitory fire of May 2023, which claimed 20 lives, including 11 children from the Indigenous village of Micobie in Region Eight. La Rose’s entry profiled Jean Vyfhuis and the role of education in breaking cycles of poverty, while Swain’s television report highlighted women in Huradiah, Moruca, leading sustainable development under Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

The awards ceremony took place on Tuesday at the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus. Organised in partnership with the University’s Centre for Communication Studies, the Institute of Gender Studies and the Guyana Press Association, the event celebrated journalism that promotes gender equality and inclusive storytelling.

Renata Chuck-A-Sang of the Commission said coverage of gender issues too often focuses on suffering and violence.

“We are more than that,” she said. “Gender is a cross-cutting topic, and one of our mandates is the achievement of equality. The language used to describe women is an important part of that.”

Accepting her award, Ba spoke of the emotional difficulty of reporting on the Mahdia tragedy.

“Listening to people recount such loss does affect you,” she said. “I think more journalists need to take the time to sit with their stories and acknowledge the trauma they experience.”

Nine journalists in total were recognised. Organisers described the competition as highly competitive, praising the diversity and quality of submissions.

Speaking on behalf of the Guyana Press Association, former president Nazima Raghubir reaffirmed its commitment to training and public engagement, urging reporters to continue researching and following up on critical social issues.

The Commission said it hopes the Media Prize will become an annual event and expand across the Caribbean, strengthening journalism’s role in shaping a more equitable society.