"The study found that overall, journalism in Somalia falls far short of the fifth UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. The study demonstrates that if the current conditions for women in Somalia’s media remain unaddressed, the country wi
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ll fail to achieve the SDG targets on ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. Gender representation in the workforce: Women journalists are significantly underrepresented in Somali media houses at 23%. Furthermore, the study found that as in many other sectors, there are fewer women than men in influential positions, and women have limited representation in decision making in the organisational structures of media houses. Out of 423 journalists working in the 15 media houses visited, only 92 (22%) are female." (Key findings)
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"Gender-based violence (GBV) continues to be a serious problem in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean region. Jamaicans have increasingly adopted information and communication technologies (ICTs) over the last two decades. In the era of ICTs, new forms of online GBV are evolving, and ICTs also offer a m
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eans of facilitating and escalating offline forms of GBV. Unfortunately, there is very little research in the region to date examining the relationship between GBV and ICTs, apart from anecdotal reports into forms of GBV where ICTs are a factor including stalking, harassment, invasion of privacy, and revenge porn’. This article draws on one of the very few research studies undertaken in Jamaica so far into online abuse and harassment of women, and the role that ICTs play in offline GBV against women in Jamaica. The research suggests that more needs to be done by different actors – including government and civil society – to recognise and respond to GBV and ICTs. esponses should include both specific policy reforms and targeted educational/awareness programmes." (Abstract)
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"This practical guide on gender sensitivity and inclusivity is designed specifically with the working journalist in mind and to prompt the practitioner to make conscious decisions about the use of words and visuals as a means of enhancing professionalism. In our everyday life, we encounter countless
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examples of gender stereotypes which often do inadvertently get mainstreamed and perpetuated by the news media, through poor language and image use, contributing to continuing discrimination. Many stereotypical social constructs get ‘normalized’ when the media perpetuates and sometimes ends up amplifying the same. For example, men are often described as heroes and epitomes of strength, with specific characteristics attributed to them. Similarly, women are regularly portrayed as weak and in need of male protection. We are constantly ‘programmed’ to ‘accept’ soldiers and freedom fighters to be men. Women on the other hand are often viewed as victims – of war, drought or epidemic – and as disempowered individuals who are meant for ‘softer’ jobs and needing ‘protection." (Preface, page 46)
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"To inform the development of a new radio drama for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, BBC Media Action carried out a small scale qualitative research study that sought to understand more about Rohingya men and womens’ understanding and attitudes towards child marriage, intimate partner violence
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and sexual exploitation and abuse. Eight in-depth interviews and four mini focus group discussions were held with Rohingya men and women living in two camps in Cox’s Bazar, as well as key informant interviews with humanitarian practitioners working on issues related to gender-based violence (GBV). The study found that intimate partner violence and child marriage are deeply rooted and normalised within the Rohingya community in Cox’s Bazar. The perceived economic and social benefits of marrying their daughters off early greatly outweigh the risks of child marriage for parents, who have little knowledge of the health risks of early childbirth, and fear social criticism if their daughters are not married within two to three years of going through puberty. Both Rohingya men and women accept intimate partner violence as a normal part of life, and believe it is the husband’s right to abuse his wife if she does not fulfil her duties. Women rarely speak out about violence against them, for fear they will be socially ostracised and their husbands will remarry, leaving them with no financial stability and no opportunity to remarry. These findings have clear implications for communications initiatives, including the need to work towards de-normalising gender-based violence, by engaging both male and female audiences in storylines which encourage them to question existing practices and norms." (https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaaction)
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"This chapter focuses on gender dynamics in media safety in Nigeria. It critically examines the safety challenges journalists in Nigeria face in executing their duties in a country that has experienced different forms of conflicts, ranging from political instability, organized crime, terrorism, and
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communal conflict. It analyses these challenges in relation to gender. To achieve this, the researcher made use of primary data generated from interviews with journalists. The chapter discloses issues of gender-based discrimination, sexual and violent harassment, abuse at work and outside work, murder, and unwarranted arrest and intimidation, showing they are among the challenges journalists face. It identifies some gender-specific safety concerns among the journalists interviewed. Importantly, it finds that safety challenges such as sexual harassment are hardly reported and when reported, they are usually trivialized, most times re-shaming the victim(s) and causing the victim to shy away from reporting future occurrences." (Abstract)
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"Women are underrepresented in newsrooms and are less likely to read political and international news. Preliminary data shows that news organizations with a higher share of women writing the news and in leadership positions also have a higher share of women in their audience. A number of academic st
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udies found that (1) women are more likely to cover the news with a positive framing and (2) women are more likely to read and respond to news with a positive framing. As such, it is possible that increasing the share of female journalists, editors, and newsroom leaders in a newsroom could reduce the gender gap in political and international news consumption. More women reading these news topics could create (1) revenue opportunities for media companies through audience growth and (2) a more informed and engaged public." (Summary)
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"The study found that among women, access to and use of the internet is highly dependent on the type of mobile device used and on level of education. Connecting with friends and family, entertainment and education emerged as the main reasons why the female respondents used the internet. Unreliable y
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et expensive internet or data services; inadequate technical know-how on internet use and online insecurity were some of the challenges the women reported were hampering their access and use of the internet. On the basis of the findings, it is recommended that existing data prices are reviewed; public education and awareness creation efforts especially among women and girls are intensified; existing policies are updated with targets and budget allocations to facilitate implementation and monitoring; and more research done to provide scientific evidence to inform policies, interventions and advocacy to help improve the women’s rights online situation in the country." (Pages 4-5)
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"A gender-responsive evaluation includes two main components. It assesses the degree to which gender and power relationships change as a result of an intervention. And it ensures that women’s voices are prominent throughout the evaluation. Gender-responsive evaluations can be used to evaluate any
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intervention, but should be always be used when there is a focus on women’s rights or empowerment." (Introduction)
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"Feminine identity has always been complicated by race and class in South Africa. The history of beauty pageants, like sporting contests, demonstrates the extent to which culture and contemporary politics intertwine. Examining the cover model choices of women’s magazines offers a fruitful means of
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tracking the complex interplay between beauty, power and politics. This paper explores cultural endorsements of femininity as they are represented on the covers of one of South Africa’s oldest women’s magazines. Using a content analysis of the covers of Fairlady from 1985 to 2005 the paper asks questions about how Fairlady mediated ideas about beauty, race, gender and nationhood in recent history. The paper reveals the essential role of the popular media in communicating the values of Nelson Mandela’s Rainbow Nation. It finds that this role is highly contradictory, however, and the representation of women is shaped by socio-political and cultural shifts and racialised discourses of beauty, often linked to other cultural industries. The paper argues that this ambiguous relationship to the political transition is partly a result of the inherently racist structures of globalised consumer culture, which have an ever-greater influence on the choice of cover model in the post-apartheid period." (Abstract)
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"Five weeks prior to the 2011 general election in Liberia, women in randomly selected villages were allocated radios and organized into groups to listen regularly to radio programs on the electoral process broadcast by the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). The field experiment was designed
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to ascertain the direct effects of women's access to politically-relevant information through radio broadcasting on their political behaviors and attitudes in a post-war context. Results point to positive significant effects of access to United Nations Mission in Liberia Radio on female political participation both at a national and a local level. Communities that received the intervention also exhibited smaller gender gaps across the majority of outcome indicators. The results suggest that UNMIL Radio effects likely occurred through increased political efficacy of women voters in the lead up to the elections. The study concludes that women's exposure to politically-relevant information through mass-broadcasting, even if brief, can boost their political efficacy and participation in public life." (Abstract)
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"En esta investigación se analizan las potencialidades del acceso al ejercicio del derecho a la comunicación a través de radios comunitarias en América Latina por parte de mujeres afrodescendientes e indígenas, poblaciones históricamente excluidas del acceso y representación en los medios de
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comunicación de masas, y se examinan los elementos que obstaculizan y potencian el proceso de apropiación comunicativa. La investigación se construye y desarrolla a partir de dos ejes articuladores: como primer eje, se asume la construcción de la subalternidad como un producto de las relaciones de poder moderno-coloniales que es actualizada y legitimada por la representación que los medios de comunicación de masas realizan de la población subalternizada. El segundo eje aborda el reconocimiento del derecho a la comunicación en el contexto del debate latinoamericano con el que se abre una oportunidad histórica para el ejercicio del derecho a la comunicación de las poblaciones excluidas de los medios de comunicación de masas, tomando en cuenta las potencialidades de la comunicación para la transformación social. A partir de lo anterior se toma como referencia el análisis de dos experiencias comunicativas que han permitido comprender y analizar los procesos y ejercicio del derecho a la comunicación de mujeres afrodescendientes e indígenas. La primera experiencia que se toma como estudio de caso es la emisora Avanzadoras de Yoco, una radio comunitaria gestionada de manera exclusiva por mujeres afrodescendientes sin experiencia previa en comunicación, situada en el Estado Sucre, en el Nororiente de Venezuela. Como segunda experiencia comunicativa se toma como objeto de análisis el diseño, implementación y sistematización de una intervención comunicativa con mujeres indígenas sanadoras de la provincia de Chimborazo, Ecuador, dirigida al desarrollo de habilidades comunicativas que permitieran un acercamiento al ejercicio del derecho a la comunicación a través de la grabación de un programa de radio en la emisora comunitaria Escuelas Radiofónicas Populares del Ecuador (ERPE). La investigación demuestra las potencialidades del ejercicio del derecho a la comunicación para mujeres excluidas de la representación y acceso de los medios de comunicación de masas, en relación al desarrollo de un proceso de empoderamiento y de transformación social en el entorno. Sin embargo, dada la multiplicidad de situaciones discriminatorias que colaboran en la subalternización de estas poblaciones, es necesaria la concurrencia de diferentes circunstancias que permitan la superación de los obstáculos que encuentran en el acceso al disfrute general de sus derechos, incluido el derecho a la comunicación." (Resumen)
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"This booklet first presents as a case study an overview and analysis of the actual reporting during the May 2014 flood in Serbia from the gender perspective. This part contains examples of gender stereotypical portrayal of men and women, but also the lack of visibility of female contribution to the
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humanitarian response. The modern system of emergency management is essentially determined by a new security paradigm. This is important to the understanding of the gender perspective in emergency management and the main characteristics are described in part 2 of this guide. This is followed by a study of the media and its role and ethics concerning the reporting of emergency situations – covering the gender aspects of emergencies. This part includes recommendations for media action in accordance with the global as well as national approaches to strengthening the resilience of people and communities for a timely and effective accommodation and recovery from the effects of disasters." (Page 8)
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"This rapid literature review collates findings from recently published papers on digital development and gender, highlighting some of the most commonly discussed discussions related to economic, social and political development. As the scope of this query is very large, this review provides an illu
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stration of some of the commonly identified issues in the literature. The digital inclusion agenda seeks to close the gaps in access to, and adoption of, fast evolving information and communication technology (ICT) services, particularly mobile phones and the internet. It is an important aspect of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as both an end and a means to the cross-cutting policy aim of ‘leaving no one behind’. The potential gains from digital technologies are high, however they often remain unrealised, especially for women and girls (World Bank, 2016)." (Overview, page 2)
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"Campaigns are likely to be more successful when they include messages about legal penalties for non-compliant behaviour and fresh information, and when they reach a large proportion of the intended audience. Digital campaigns must therefore work alongside laws and policies. Legislation can be a key
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tool in changing behaviour and perceptions of cultural and social norms. Laws and policies that make violent behaviour an offence send a message to society that it is not acceptable.
Success is more likely if messages are tailored to audiences using social marketing principles and create a supportive environment that enables the intended audience to make changes – e.g. by mobilising communities in support of the campaign.
To develop effective campaigns, it is also important to use research, such as interviews with key stakeholders and focus groups with members of the target audience, to determine existing attitudes and beliefs and ways of motivating people to change their behaviour.
Campaign messages should also be pre-tested to ensure they are understood correctly and to minimize any unintended negative effects.
The most successful interventions work with experienced organisations to develop and deliver sophisticated television/radio programming and communications combined with community mobilisation strategies aimed at changing gender-related norms and behaviours." (Overview, page 3)
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"The organization has grown since the last evaluation in 2007, with the number of chapters expanding from seven to twelve. The membership comprises 45 other countries, some with the capacity to become chapters. Whether IAWRT is in a phase of expansion or consolidation is unclear, as there is no stra
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tegy in place and opinions in the matter seem to vary within the leadership and membership of the organization. Addressing the issue of possible expansion needs to take into account whether the organization currently has the required capacity and routines to support and follow up new chapters as well as individual members. Besides, there is also confusion when it comes to the actual number of members due to conflicting information. The decision to make a virtual secretariat has saved the organization money, but the survey indicate that this has gone unnoticed by a majority of the membership. Good developments have taken place, but the current ineffective structure of communication remains a challenge that also affects the secretariat’s ability to perform their best." (Executive summary, page 2)
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"This practice briefing sets out what BBC Media Action has learned about how media can provide a platform for both men and women to hold their leaders to account, while empowering them to participate in their own communities. Unpicking the challenges faced and the solutions found, it will bring toge
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ther practice and research to examine how effective our factual programmes have been in reaching and impacting on men and women equally. The paper argues that these projects have been effective in building political knowledge, levels of discussion of governance issues and political participation among both men and women. However, it also draws the tentative conclusion that, in Nepal and Bangladesh, the programmes may be less effective at empowering female audiences to participate in politics than men. After setting out the global picture for gender and governance, the paper outlines BBC Media Action’s approach to supporting women to participate in their communities and hold their leaders to account. It then unpacks the challenges of creating gender-sensitive governance programmes and weighs up how successful BBC Media Action has been in reaching and impacting women. The paper concludes with some recommendations to inform future programming." (BBC Media Action website)
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