The aim of UNESCO’s action relating Gender-Sensitive Indicators for Media (GSIM) is to give impetus to gender equality and women’s empowerment in and through media of all forms, irrespective of the technology used.

UNESCO’s commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment is pursued through gender-specific programming and gender mainstreaming with action in all of its fields of competence. UNESCO’s Communication and Information Sector has engaged globally in a wide range of gender-specific initiatives. The two perspectives, equality between women and men working in the media, and equality in news reporting on women and men, are of equal importance and are being stridently pursued.

It is against this backdrop that UNESCO, in cooperation with the International Federation of Journalists and many other partners, has elaborated this global framework of Gender-Sensitive Indicators for Media. This is a part of a suite of indicators being developed across all sectors of the organization to enable effective assessment of diagnosis of areas within UNESCO’s mandate of media development.

There through use/application of the GSIM, UNESCO seeks to enhance the capacity of reporters, media managers/executives, media organizations, and citizens’ media groups to reduce stereotypical representation of women in media, and to mainstream gender equality considerations into their policies and practices. While training is of key importance, real and progressive change in non-stereotypical representation of women will not be accelerated without the complementary policy requirements put in place.

In this context UNESCO is partnering with key broadcast/print media unions/associations to adapt and pilot the GSIM within their member organisations. These partners include, African Union of Broadcasters, Caribbean Broadcasting Union, OTI (Organización de Telecomunicaciones Iberoamericanas), Asia Pacific Broadcasting, and COPEAM (Permanent Conference of the Mediterranean Audiovisual Operators)