Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk

Vanuatu Daily Post editor Jane Joshua, a journalist who has set new standards for social justice and human rights reporting in her country, has been awarded the Hanson Mataskelekele Award for leadership among women.

“We are immensely proud to congratulate Jane,” said the Daily Post media group director Dan McGarry.

Joshua became editor of the Daily Post in February after working for the newspaper for many years.

“From the beginning, she demonstrated her top-flight journalistic skills. Her reporting has provided an essential addition to the public dialogue,” said McGarry.

“Her reporting of human rights abuses among the country’s prison population contributed to fundamental changes in how our incarcerated population are treated.”

Joshua broke a story detailing the contents of the Commission of Inquiry into the fatal sinking of the local vessel MGY, in which charges of manslaughter were laid against the owner, captain and a crew member of the ship.

-Partners-

Outcry led to reforms
An outcry following this commission of inquiry report led to the creation of a Maritime Regulator and the current wholesale reform of the maritime sector.

Her work as associate editor had recently contributed significantly to the Daily Post company’s expanded radio news and current affairs programming, and its burgeoning presence on social media.

The Daily Post news group is widely regarded as the most reputable source of information and news about Vanuatu in social media today.

“Our social media news coverage has reached as many as 120,000 people in a single day,” said McGarry.

Jane Joshua has written nearly 270 front page stories in the last four years alone.

Her elevation to the rank of editor made her one of few women in the top rank of the news media establishment in the Pacific islands. She is the first woman to occupy the role of editor at this newspaper.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

By Jane Joshua in Port Vila

Vanuatu’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and External Trade is proud to have two women appointed to the top positions of First Political Adviser and Second Political Adviser – Anthea Arukole and Jeanette Yiu-Hing Faerua respectively.

These two are the only women to occupy these leading political adviser positions in the current government.

It is also believed to be the first time in Vanuatu’s history that women have occupied both first and second PA positions in a single government ministry.

There have been many efforts and initiatives to advance women in political participation and decision making in Vanuatu and when the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ralph Regenvanu, took office in December last year and appointed women into the two key positions in the cabinet, it gave comfort to the gender advocates that there are male champions who are committed to advancing women.

This is very positive news for Vanuatu on International Women’s Day.

Both women have been key figures in the Graon mo Jastis Pati (GJP) since it was established

Arukole is an active member of the national executive of GJP and is not new to the First Political Adviser position.

Foreign Affairs move
She was previously the First PA at the Ministry of Internal Affairs prior to moving to Foreign Affairs.

Before taking up the First PA role in the Ministry of Internal Affairs in February 2017, GJP Minister Alfred Maoh had another woman as his First PA, Emily Tumukon.

“Having been part of the national executive of a political party for has helped to grounded me for my role as a political advisor and i am no stranger to leadership and management roles,” Arukole said.

“While being first political adviser is challenging, I have a lot of support within the party as well as from senior officials of government whom I encounter.

“It helps also that the current Acting Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also a woman, Roline Tekon.”

Minister Ralph Regenvanu said he was very satisfied with the performance of his two key political advisers to date.

Vanuatu Daily Post media director Dan McGarry was full of praise for his editor, Jane Joshua, author of this news story, on International Women’s Day. In the last four years alone, he said on Twitter, Joshua had written nearly 270 front page stories for the Vanuatu Daily Post.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz