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IPDC projects on gender

Ihanda village women during celebrations of five years of FADECO community radio, Tanzania – © UNESCO

In 2010-2012 the Bureau of the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) allocated almost US$ 6.8 million to 259 media development projects. Over 50% of these projects are related to human resource development, guaranteeing the participation of at least 50% of women. Moreover, over 10% of the projects are specifically focused on gender, seeking to enhance gender mainstreaming in journalism education, women participation in media and the promotion of gender sensitive reporting.

Algeria: Strengthening capacity at the web radio 'Voix de Femmes'

Article 14 of Algeria's Information Act (no. 90-07 of April 3, 1990) provides for the freedom of all periodical publications. The abolition of the State's monopoly on print media brought in its wake a proliferation of publications. Several publications, however, are subject to the influence of political and business interests, which subverts their editorial independence. Furthermore, the State monopoly in the audio-visual sector continues to remain in force, after timid signs of opening up in 1990 and later in 1997. More

Argentina: Establishing a network of community radios in Argentina and promoting greater women participation and leadership in the media

By taking advantage of the great potential of community radios to reach out to people and actively engage them in rights-related issues, this project will create a network of immigrant community journalists to promote gender-awareness issues, freedom of expression and immigrants´ and refugees´ rights. In addition, this project will promote and strengthen female participation and leadership in the media. Immigrant women in Argentina face numerous obstacles to accessing basic rights, such as health services (for themselves and their children) and social services. More

Brazil: Strengthening community communication

There are more than ten thousand low-power radios in Brazil, most of them community radios. The applicable law on community radios, 9.612/98, imposes many limitations on their activities, including preventing community radio stations from broadcasting advertisements or belonging to a network, thus constraining their potential. Community radio stations throughout Brazil exist despite the lack of training policies or subsidies for improved development of communication activities, leading to problems in sustainability and a tendency to copy commercial models of communication. More

Burundi: Reporting on children and women's rights

Burundi is one of the smallest countries on the African continent, with a land mass of 27,830 km², only slightly larger than neighboring Rwanda with which it has much in common. Like twins, these two countries share the pain of a bloody decade marked by genocide and "hate media". In 1960, Burundi had only one National Radio, one daily newspaper (Le Renouveau) and only one private newspaper, “Ndongozi", of the Catholic church, published in Kirundi. The advent of multipartism in 1990 introduced different private radios, TV and newspapers. More

China: Promoting gender-awareness in China's mass media

In China, media and gender issues have come to the fore since the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995. More reports and programmes on women are now produced, helping to diversify the image of women portrayed in the media. However in spite of these improvements, media representation of women still lags behind China’s development in general. Women remain stereotyped and marginalized in the media. Even in media specifically orientated at women, the representation aspect remains a problem. More

Ecuador: Media self-regulation and gender training for news editors and journalists

Application of the UNESCO Media Development Indicators (MDI) in Ecuador has revealed that media self-regulation mechanisms, such as using codes of ethics or editorial guidelines, are not fully practiced. The study also showed that only one print medium has a Public Ombudsman to receive readers’ complaints, and in the entire country there are no Press Councils or Commissions for complaints that might ensure good journalism practices in day-to-day work. In turn, citizens’ perception of the media is not positive: 51.74% consider the media corrupt. More

Liberia: Capacity building for women community radio journalists

Research conducted by various media development organizations has shown that women account for a mere 13 to 16 percent of the journalists in Liberia. A further survey conducted by Christian Media Center (CMC) showed that women hold a dismal one percent of clout positions in the media. The situation is appalling within community radio stations which are in the 15 political subdivisions of Liberia and provide information for over half of the overall population. More

Malawi: Training of journalists in gender-sensitive reporting

Media in Malawi has undergone considerable change in recent times. In the electronic media sector, a number of private and community radio stations have emerged, and three television stations are now operational. In the print media sector, aside from newspapers, several general and specialist magazines are now being published. The implication of these developments is that there has been an increase in the free flow of information and a related increase in the number of male and female journalists working for the various media houses. More

Mauritania: Strengthening professional capacity at the Mauritanian Union of Female Media Professionals

For a long time, the Mauritanian audio-visual sector was dominated by the two state-run media outlets - Radio Mauritanie and Télévision de Mauritanie, but with the July 2010 adoption by the National Assembly of a draft bill on the liberalisation of the audio-visual sector, the media landscape has begun to change. However, despite a rather favourable environment, the Mauritanian media is unable to take full advantage of the available opportunities due to a lack of specialist and quality training for media professionals. More

Pakistan: Capacity building of women TV journalists to produce news packages and news bulletins

These include several regional, national and local channels with a constantly growing viewership. The print and electronic media in Pakistan has experienced a remarkable transformation in the last decade and now Pakistan enjoys a vibrant media scene with unprecedented diversity of opinion available in various ethnic languages. The electronic media can play an important role by highlighting local and national issues and performing a critical watchdog role. However, much of the new electronic media in Pakistan is relatively unsophisticated and most content revolves around entertainment. More

Paraguay: Capacity building and awareness raising for community radios on women's participation in Paraguay

This project aims to promote social, political and economic participation of women in society by fostering the generation of adequate information for community radio programming, using a rights-based approach that reflects a true and valued image of women and unmasks the power relations between men and women. The importance of working with community radios becomes evident when it is considered that the media forms public opinions, spread messages and can incite a change of cultural and social practices. More

Peru: Training women journalists in ICTs and Gender

Peruvian community media have become the voice of thousands of isolated or marginalized persons, significantly democratizing this media platform. In an effort to ensure that community communication services grow stronger, expand and improve in a quality manner, ILLA Education and Communication Center is seeking to train women journalists in key tools to navigate on the internet, create a website, use networks, platform 2.0, create an online radio, upload audio and video to cyberspace, manage blogs and create podcasts. More

Regional: ABU: Gender mainstreaming in broadcasting organizations in the Asia-Pacific region

This project is aimed at Capacity Building within leading broadcasting organizations in the Asia-Pacific region, focusing particularly on correcting serious gender imbalances and inequities in employment opportunities, female participation and media portrayal of women and girls in the region. The project is in line with The Beijing Platform for Action for Equality, Development and Peace, which places specific obligations on the media, both, in the way women participate and in how they are portrayed. More

Regional: Capacity-building for gender-balanced content production in South East Africa

Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) studies have consistently revealed that women are grossly underrepresented in the media in contrast to men. In 2010 this survey showed that in Africa, 77% of stories in the media reinforced gender stereotypes, almost eight times higher than stories that challenge such stereotypes (5%). The advent of digital media technology, including mobile phones, provides new opportunities for the empowerment of women both in and by the media. More

Regional: Community communication for the eradication of violence against indigenous women of Mexico, Nicaragua and Guatemala

This regional project involves community women communicators in Mexico, Nicaragua and Guatemala, with the aim of equipping them with increased knowledge and tools to help end violence against women in communities, particularly against indigenous women. It is based on common characteristics that affect the lives of indigenous women in their communities. The project has been devised by representatives of the Women's Networking Association of Community Radio Broadcasters in all three of the above countries, but will be coordinated in Mexico. More

Regional: Pan-African Conference on Journalist Safety and Tackling Impunity

The number of journalists killed in Africa in the line of their duty, deliberately, in crossfire, and combat related circumstances has been increasing year in year out. According to the International News Safety Institute, some 199 journalists and media workers were killed in Africa between 1990 and 2006. In 2009 more journalists and associated media workers were killed than during the years before. Other journalists were attacked, arrested, injured, kidnapped or detained. More

Regional: Strengthening innovative and gender inclusive use of community media practices in the Pacific region for peace and security

The importance of community-access radio in promoting social and community development, basic education, and models of good governance has been widely acknowledged in the international community. More

Rwanda: Communicating for development: Capacity building of women radio journalists

The 1994 genocide in Rwanda provides a telling case study of the role the media can play in a conflict situation. The genocide was among the most appalling catastrophes of the 20th century and media, especially the radio, played a significant part both nationally and internationally. Prior to the genocide, radio stations and newspapers in Rwanda were carefully used by the conspirators to dehumanize the potential victims, particularly Rwanda's Tutsi minority, rather than address the plight and development of what was viewed as the minority in the society. More

Somalia: Raising women's voices in Somalia through community media

The media in Somalia has grown despite the chaos that ensued after the fall of the military government of General Siad Bare. In Mogadishu alone, there are over 10 independent radio stations, more than 20 privately-owned newspapers and more than 30 Somali websites on the internet, but all of these media outlets are directed by men who also occupy positions of authority. Women neither sit at the decision-making organs of these media institutions nor work as managing directors, editors and owners. More

Zimbabwe: Implementing gender equality policies in Southern Africa

Ever since the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) took over the leadership of the Southern Africa Journalists Association (SAJA) at the launch in Johannesburg in 2006, gender equality within the media has been a priority. The focus of the Union has been, among other issues, the reduction of sexual harassment cases, enhancement of the status of women journalists, promotion of active participation of women member journalists in union affairs, equal and fair remuneration of journalists, and the safety of journalists, especially female. More

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