Report by Zevonia Vieira
During the media workshop which was attended by 11 countries from Asia Pacific, to cover the Beijing +30 Declaration and Action for the Platform, from discussions taken by various female journalists, it was observed that female journalists in Asia and the Pacific still face discrimination in the news room and an opportunity to increase knowledge, with this, the journalists who attended the conference reaffirm that commitment to advancing the status of women journalists across Asia and the Pacific.
“We call for bold action to increase the representation of women at all levels of the media industry, including leadership and decision-making roles, with a particular emphasis on the inclusion of historically disadvantaged groups”, said Susmita Preetha
“Our priorities include ensuring both online and offline safety and security of women journalists and journalists from gender-diverse communities, while fostering enabling, gender-inclusive workplaces. We need to ensure gender pay parity, enforce labour laws, and establish effective mechanisms for redressing sexual harassment. We advocate for targeted investment in capacity building, equipping women journalists with the skills to navigate emerging technologies, including AI, and empowering them to lead in a rapidly changing media landscape. Additionally, we strongly support the adoption of gender-responsive language and editorial guidelines, and call for robust frameworks to address the growing precarity faced by freelance media workers”.
Cohort manifesto, which reflects these commitments, will be unveiled during the Beijing+ 30 commemorations in New York on International Women’s Day next March and followed by a substantive dialogue on these issues on World Press Freedom Day in Asia and the Pacific on May 3.
To conclude Susmita said to ensure that the manifesto reflects the diverse voices of women journalists from across the region, we propose to hold consultation sessions with a broad range of women journalists, including those from rural and remote areas, queer communities, persons with disabilities, and women freelancers, in our respective countries. We hope the United Nations and ESCAP will join us in supporting this vital process, fostering a collaborative and inclusive approach to strengthening networks and associations of women journalists across the region.
