Beatrice Senadju wins Female Journalist Of The Year 2024

Multiple Award-Winning Broadcast Journalist with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Beatrice Senadju (now Beatrice Boateng), has been adjudged the overall Female Journalist of the Year 2024 at the 28^th Ghana Journalists Association Awards ceremony held in Accra.

She also won the Best Feature Reporter for Television with her outstanding story “Hope in a Mess”, a documentary that delved deeper into disability unemployment and how an individual changes the narrative through her business.

This year’s GJA Media Awards also marks the climax of the 75^th Anniversary celebrations of the association. The two important events are reflected in the theme for the awards: 75 Years of Excellence in Journalism: The Role of the Media in Democratic Governance and Elections.

The President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Mr. Albert Dwumfour, said, the theme reflects the important role of the media in elections and democratic consolidation.

For almost two decades, Beatrice has been instrumental in fostering a vibrant media landscape that has contributed significantly to the promotion of human rights, transparency, accountability, good governance, and human rights through her reportage. Through her life-changing stories, she has been the voice of the voiceless, vulnerable, and the underrepresented in society. Over the years, most of her documentaries have had a significant impact and shaped policy directions.

In an interview, Beatrice touched on the need for journalists to embrace professionalism in the discharge of their duties. She encouraged women to continue to aspire higher and work hard towards achieving their goals without being intimidated.

“Women are shapers and builders by default. We don’t need to do much in shaping society. Leadership is a skill that comes to women naturally. Let us harness this potential to shape our country, Ghana. Knowing your purpose is crucial in life. If you know your purpose, nothing will stop you. We don’t have to be afraid; we need to go beyond our limit.

“As journalists, especially female journalists, we can go all out to shape our country through our reportage. Let us utilize the power of our pens, and camera lenses to tell stories no one dares to tell without fear or contention. We must stop tagging female journalists as sex objects. There is so much potential in us than just sex. Let us give room for women to rise,” she stated.

Beatrice Senadju is a budding journalist making a lot of impact in the media landscape in Ghana and worldwide. Before this recognition, she had received several awards including the Best Health Reporter in 2023 by the Ghana Journalists Association, Best Journalist of the Year Award in Disability Reporting 2022 by the US Embassy (Ghana) and Young Africa Media Centre, Journalist of the Year 2022 by the Ghana Leadership Awards, the Best Domestic Tourism Reporter also by Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards in 2022 and the Best Multimedia Journalist 2022 by Merck Media Recognition Awards issued by Merck Foundation, Germany among others.

Beatrice Senadju is currently the Senior News Editor (Television) with Ghana’s state-owned broadcaster GBC.

She is the Founder of the Smile Wide Foundation (SWIF) and Mentor Her Foundation; both non-governmental organizations. Through her foundations, she has touched, transformed, and inspired many lives through several mentorship and skill training programmes.

The GJA Awards provide a platform for the recognition of individuals and companies that play vital roles in the growth and development of the media sector.

Some dignitaries who graced the awards ceremony were Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic, Madam Fatimatu Abubakar, Minister for Information, Mr. Charles Paul Abani, United Nations Coordinator, Ghana, Professor Umaru Pate, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State, and Ambassador Daniel Krull, Germany Ambassador to Ghana.