Ghana Broadcasting Corporation’s (GBC) Northern Regional Correspondent, Joyce Kantam Kolamong, has been honoured again by the Merck Foundation Africa at its Media Recognition Awards ceremony held recently.
Joyce Kantam Kolamong was among 124 journalists from 32 countries who were recognised by the Chief Executive Officer of the Merck Foundation, Senator Dr Rasha Kelej, for their impactful stories. Ms Kolamong won first place in the radio category for West Africa under the “More Than a Mother” project, which aims to raise awareness of social issues affecting women and girls.
This is her second award, after winning second place in the 2024 edition of the awards. The recognition highlights her dedication to shedding light on critical issues such as gender-based violence and women’s empowerment, helping to inspire meaningful conversations and change.
The CEO of the Merck Foundation, Senator Dr Rasha Kelej, expressed satisfaction with the quality of stories produced by the winners and said she was optimistic that such work could bring about cultural and societal change on critical issues. She encouraged journalists to use their platforms to tell stories that raise awareness and break cultural silence on issues affecting women and girls.
For her part, Ms Kolamong thanked GBC, particularly “Ghana Today”, a flagship programme, for giving her the platform to tell impactful stories. She said telling the stories of women and girls has enabled her to become more informed about critical issues, which, according to her, has better positioned her to inform others.
She added that two couples, married for eight and 13 years and without children, had contacted her to say they had decided to seek more information about available fertility options after her reporting. She said journalists feel fulfilled when their stories create awareness and have real-life impact.
The Merck Foundation Africa Media Recognition Awards highlight the important role journalists play in influencing African communities, helping to create cultural change, break silence, and give voice to the voiceless in order to raise awareness on sensitive social and health issues such as infertility stigma, girl-child education, women’s empowerment, ending child marriage, ending female genital mutilation, stopping gender-based violence, and promoting diabetes early detection and prevention.
The project is implemented in collaboration with First Ladies of African countries.
