Home » Reports » Women & Institutions »  

Jericho: The Ministry of Women's Affairs concludes meeting with decision-makers on better coverage of gender issues in media
18 March 2018

Jericho - Nisaa FM:

This afternoon in Jericho, the Ministry of Women's Affairs concluded the meeting with decision-makers on gender issues in the media. The meeting was attended by a number of decision-makers from various media organizations to discuss the importance of access to information about gender issues and to create a clear vision for media organizations about gender related issues in Palestine.

The two-day meeting focused on the role of the local and national media promoting justice and gender-equality. It discussed the role of media institutions promoting justice and equality in its production as well as the development of the Gender Media Network launched last year. A code of conduct was signed between the Ministry of Women's Affairs and 17 media organizations, agreeing that the media discourse should include gender responsive issues.

Interview with Bassam al-Khatib, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs

The Undersecretary of Women’s Affairs, Bassam al-Khatib, talked about the important role of the media and its ability to influence, change and increase our awareness.

The ministry sees the importance of collaboration with the Palestinian media institutions (audio, visual and print) to raise the status of Palestinian women and to avoid the stereotypical image of women in the media, in ways that are sensitive and safe.

He added: "The media have the ability to direct their message in favor of women’s issues, to change the stereotypes and reduce discrimination against women and therefore this meeting is not the first and will be followed by many others."

Interview with Fatima al-Buttama

During the meeting, which was attended by women from Nisaa FM, journalists from different media organizations shared their views and questions about the reality of the Palestinian media and how it could be part of the movement to change the approach to gender issues and thus gather information about these issues.

Fatima al-Buttama, the facilitator of the workshop, said that the meeting aimed at unifying the media discourse on gender issues, a continuation of previous efforts to discuss and plan gender issues based on the National Strategy of the Ministry of Women's Affairs for 2017-2022. This strategy aims to combat all forms of violence against women in addition to directing the media in a way that unifies its vision and is consistent with its different levels when communicating women and gender issues in Palestine.

Interview with the representative of the Ministry of Information, Nariman Awad

The representative of the Ministry of Information, Nariman Awad, said in an interview that the Ministry of Information is an important partner in several higher committees as well as the Ministry of Women's Affairs in relation to promoting sensitive gender information. The National Committee for the Implementation of Gender Issues’ Resolution 1325, the National Commission against Violence against Women, as well as the Higher Committees for the Promotion of Gender Equality.

She added that there is a movement when it comes to issues related to women and gender, especially issues of violence against women. The movement is still slow and because of this, the Ministry of Information works with all official and private media institutions to move towards better coverage of gender issues.

The meeting also included several working papers that will help promote the development of media institutions in terms of gender issues, promoting justice and equality in their media production, as well as promoting and developing the Gender Media Network through the recommendations and tools of action that have been forwarded by the participants.