IAWRT Kenya joins meeting to monitor attacks vs journalists for IDEI

by IAWRT Kenya

Every year since 2013, on November 2nd, journalists and media stakeholders across the world pay tribute to journalists killed because of their work, and raise awareness of the danger of impunity for crimes committed against journalists, in their line of work.

During the 2023 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI) and through the support of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), IAWRT Kenya (IAWRT-K) together with Human Rights Network for Journalists (HRNJ) were tasked to lead and find an innovative way of mapping and reporting on harassment and attacks against women journalists.

The meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia brought together journalists from five regions in Africa, namely East, West, South, North and Central Africa. IAWRT-K allowed its members in Africa to apply and be part of the training. Former IAWRT President Racheal Nakitare, IAWRT Kenya chapter head Josephine Karani and a representative from HRNJ, a co-lead from Uganda were among the attendees. Over 70 applications were received from all regions in Africa, but only 10 slots were opened.

Speaking at the opening of the training of trainers, Dr. Rita Bissoonauth, Director of UNESCO Liaison Office to AU and UNECA and Representative to Ethiopia expressed the importance of the safety of journalists to freedom of expression, the rule of law, and the development of democratic societies in Africa.

“I urge you to continue joining efforts with UNESCO in supporting the regional and national mechanisms for monitoring and reporting attacks against journalists in Africa, and to work together to create a safe and enabling environment for the journalists to perform their essential work without fear or interference,” said Dr. Rita Bissoonauth.

IAWRT and HRNJ are in the process of accomplishing tasks to ensure there is a model in place to monitor and report attacks on journalists using modern technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Ushahidi crowdsourcing map with special focus on female Journalists, as well as developing tools and rolling out data collection methods in the five African regions with at least two focal persons per region.

This task was due to the upward trend of increased online violence against journalists. Many journalists face violence due to their work and even in the line of duty. Violence at any level is to be strongly condemned whether it is trolling on social media or physical violence that may lead to hospitalization or death.

In 2023, UNESCO released a fact sheet on “Safety of Journalists particularly threatened during elections.” The data collected between January 2019 and June 2022 revealed that 759 journalists and media professionals were attacked, 42% (320) of whom were attacked by law enforcement agents, and 29% of attacked journalists (218) were women.

Dr. Rita Bissonauth said, “We are alive to the fact that female journalists are particularly vulnerable to gender-based attacks, such as sexual harassment, rape, and online abuse, which often go unreported and unpunished.”

Part of the plan being enforced includes laying the foundation for incorporating the Iraqi model (in 2024) which monitors and reports violations to police, lawyers and judges in real-time with the view of finding remedial measures to each threat. The team benefitted from an online training from Mr. Dhea Bubhee of UNESCO who shared the Iraq model.

During the three days of training in Addis Ababa, the attendees were taken through various topics such as the Safety of Journalists and combating impunity on crimes against journalists in the digital age, Access to Justice for Human Rights violations with special reference to Journalists, Digital Transformation: Emerging media trends – AI & Journalism and Understanding the Iraq mapping model among others.

On the final day of the training, Mr. Mwendwa Kivuva of Kenya ICT Network (KICTANet) took the trainees through a practicum where they had to monitor and map cases from all perspectives. The team was able to lay the foundation for incorporating the Iraqi model, launching the mapping, and deciding on the way forward.

IAWRT Kenya holds safety training, spreads awareness on GBV for #16Days

by IAWRT Kenya

The Kenyan Chapter was taken through a training for the safety of journalists by the former Vice President of IAWRT International Ms. Abeer Saady. She was in Kenya to train Sudanese journalists who are displaced and live in most East African countries. She jumpstarted the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence (GBV) for the Kenyan Chapter.

“Women harassment should not be normalized as part of the job, and one should not be alone in the face of harassment, either online or offline,” stressed Abeer.

For 16 days of activism, members of the Kenyan Chapter sent out messages every day that went out on local media and social media platforms, particularly on X (former Twitter).

IAWRT Kenya chapter head Josephine Karani participated in a live morning show on the national broadcaster Kenya Broadcasting Corporation to showcase the work the chapter has been doing towards sensitizing women on their safety online. Watch the episode here:   

3rd IAWRT Nepal Film Fest and 4th Short Film tilt concluded

by IAWRT Nepal

The 3rd IAWRT Nepal International Women’s Film Festival & 4th IAWRT Nepal Short Film Competition were organized by IAWRT Nepal Chapter on 25th of November 2023 A.D (B.S 2080 Mangshir 9) at the hall of Film Development Board, Chabahil, Kathmandu. The event focused on the celebration of the talent, creativity, and resilience of women in the world of cinema.

The 3rd IAWRT Nepal International Women’s Film Festival is a testament to the richness of stories and the indomitable spirit of the women behind and in front of the camera. The event was organized on 25th November, the beginning day of the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, a key international moment to call for an end to violence against women and girls. The campaign is celebrated until 10th December every year.

Around 500 joined the event.

The event was inaugurated by lighting the Panas by the Chief Guest of the inaugural session Honorable Indira Rana Magar (Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nepal). This was followed by the Welcome Speech by IAWRT Nepal chapter head Ichchha Gurung.

The contributions made by the chapter founder and former chapter heads, Ms. Bandana Rana and Ms. Anupa Shrestha were acknowledged and Ms. Montessori Rajbhandari was announced as the honorary member while felicitating.

#16DAYS: WOMEN’S VOICES BREAKING THE SILENCE – DAY 16

by Empowerhouse / Birgitte Jallov

16 women working with community radio to strengthen the voices and lives of women in their area

Sharon Bagwan-Rolls, Co-founder FemLINKpacific

Sharon Bagwan-Rolls has worked to give a voice and to empower women – young women, rural women, women living with disabilities and women in the LGBTQI circles – through engaging them in the media and getting an empowered and insightful voice. Through the organisation she co-founded, FemLINKpacific, she has helped found and form robust and sustainable women’s community media platforms in Fiji and other Pacific Island countries.

Sharon is a second-generation Fiji Island feminist working on the intersection of gender, media, communications and peace by supporting the development and production of appropriate and accessible media. Following a career in mainstream broadcasting, she co-founded FemLINKpacific in 2000. This became the basis for the development of a feminist media network which included the Pacific’s first women-led community radio network and the innovative Women’s Weather Watch information-communication system.

Sharon is a member of the Generation Equality Forum Civil Society Advisory Group and a taskforce member of the WPS-Humanitarian Action Compact building on her contribution to the UN Women-convened Civil Society Advisory Group, the first UN Women Global Civil Society Advisory Group, the High-Level Advisory Group for the Global Study on UNSCR1325+15 & UN Expert Group on Women and the Media. She was included in the 1000Peacewomen for the Nobel Peace Prize (2005) and received the 2014 NGO CSW Forum Woman of Distinction award in recognition of her dedication to enable and empower community media production in print, digital story-telling, online/social media, and television to increase visibility of women and young women’s viewpoints and realities.

Read more here: https://www.spreaker.com/…/1471…/sharon-final-all-done_1

EMPOWERHOUSE launches its contribution to the 16-day campaign by sharing 16 women’s community radio stories: unfolding how each broadcaster has been seeing positive change for women and girls – working intensely to eliminate violence against women and girls

#16DAYS: WOMEN’S VOICES BREAKING THE SILENCE – DAY 15

by Empowerhouse / Birgitte Jallov

16 women working with community radio to strengthen the voices and lives of women in their area

Palmira Velasco, Founder of Women’s Community Radio, Mozambique

Palmira has been at the forefront of independent journalism in Mozambique, co-founding the first independent daily newspaper DEMOS. She also co-initiated the Mozambican Women in Mass Media Association (AMCS) of which she was the executive director for 12 years. In this capacity, Palmira and AMCS took the initiative to start Mozambique’s first women’s radio: N’thiyana, meaning ‘Women’.

Read more here::https://empowerhouse.dk/palmira-velasco-mozambique/

EMPOWERHOUSE launches its contribution to the 16-day campaign by sharing 16 women’s community radio stories: unfolding how each broadcaster has been seeing positive change for women and girls – working intensely to eliminate violence against women and girls.

#16DAYS: WOMEN’S VOICES BREAKING THE SILENCE – DAY 14

by Empowerhouse / Birgitte Jallov

16 women working with community radio to strengthen the voices and lives of women in their area

Kadi Souley Bonkano, Radio FAHAM, Niger

Kadi Souley Bonkano from Niger’s capital city Niamey was a broadcaster on the local community radio Radio Anfani. Kadi worked to develop the women’s radio based on a local women’s association she had founded, called FAHAM. Faham is a word borrowed from Arabic which means understanding. Kadi wants to ensure education and ‘understanding’ – also of women’s perspectives, experiences, dreams and lives through FAHAM.

Faham was created in 2005 as an apolitical, non-denominational and non-profit national association, focusing on ways to ensure equity and greater inclusion of the voices of women living in semi-urban and rural areas. The association soon realised that to achieve their goals, community radio, which Kadi had experience with earlier, would be not only a good way, it became a priority, and FAHAM got a broadcast license for the radio in 2010.

FAHAM had the support of a former MP, who secured free offices in the suburbs of Niamey, and from Kadi’s sister, the station got a computer, a printer and a photocopier which both were used for training and functioned as a small telecentre, allowing the volunteers to have an income while waiting for the installation of the equipment.

FAHAM therefore started training women leaders in the community to become community broadcasters and identified an acute need for a community school, which the association started. It is for children 3-5 years old and financed by the parents, who pay 15 euros per year. With the school in place, it was easier for the community radio volunteers to spend time at the station.

Whereas the school is still in place, the station closed down after heavy rains flooded the association’s office and they had to realise that the location of the offices could not guarantee the stability and safety of the radio that they needed. The broadcasters continued producing programmes that were broadcast on other existing stations. Activities were suspended in 2019 when COVID-19 arrived.

Last year, in 2022, FAHAM started a reorganization of the association and the radio-focus. FAHAM intends to be the 1st web radio in Niger by women and for women, ensuring dialogue for women to share and act together, breaking down constraints on women’s access to media and public spaces.

The station will contribute to strengthening the image of rural women and it intends to reach and impact 25,000 to 30,000 households. so now, again, FAHAM trains women leaders – the future broadcasters to cover the information needs and interests they together have worked to identify.

Read more here: https://empowerhouse.dk/kadi-souley-bonkano/

EMPOWERHOUSE launches its contribution to the 16-day campaign by sharing 16 women’s community radio stories: unfolding how each broadcaster has been seeing positive change for women and girls – working intensely to eliminate violence against women and girls.

IAWRT-Philippines holds anti-sexual harassment training-workshop

by Cyril Dayao

On November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) – Philippines held a training-workshop on sexual harassment in workplaces for Filipino women journalists.

“Indifference to complaints of sexual harassment victims should no longer be tolerated. There are social movements that have raised awareness on the continued prevalence of sexual harassment especially in the workplace,” said Atty. Minnie Lopez, Assistant Secretary-General for Campaigns of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers.

She discussed the existing Philippine laws that can help women who experience sexual harassment in the workplace.

“We have a big role even though we are not victims. We should assist victims through continuous education because they need to know that they have rights and they have remedies under the law. Our moral support is a big help in empowering them,” she added.

The hybrid event was attended by journalists, communication practitioners, and students, and it had a breakout session where the participants were able to share and talk about their gendered experiences.

This event was organized by IAWRT-Philippines and the Digital Safe House Project in partnership with International Media Support.

The IAWRT Philippines paralegal handbook for journalists ‘What to do’ was launched in the workshop.

Photos by Erica Ann C. Villasorda

#16DAYS: WOMEN’S VOICES BREAKING THE SILENCE – DAY 13

by Empowerhouse / Birgitte Jallov

16 women working with community radio to strengthen the voices and lives of women in their area

Olena Zinenko, Media Researcher, Ukraine

Olena Zinenko from Kharkiv in Ukraine shares communication – and culture – has gotten a whole new importance in the present war situation, where also new voices are heard in new ways. As she says: the state media, the commercial and oligarch media create media products – she and her colleagues focus in their media production on processes, on creating understanding and of becoming. A peace activist and a media consultant at the Centre of Gender Culture’s Media Laboratory, Olina has worked with multimedia reportage workshops and creative journalism.

Olena uses her social media presence to translate the important, hard news from Ukraine in English to her broad group of followers, and she shares a heartbreaking observation – and positive amid the horror of the war: when reading the posts of her women followers on the social media, she becomes relieved when they begin to search for manicure and other things related to keeping themselves and their bodies in their new realities – this means that they HAVE found a place to live, a school for their children and have food on the table – only then will they begin to think of other things.

Olena had to leave Kharkiv with her husband and two daughters when their city was attacked – fleeing first to Poland and thereafter to Germany, where she was based in Frankfurt an der Oder. She continues her research at Frankfurt’s Viadrina University, while waiting to return home.

Read more here: https://empowerhouse.dk/olena-zinenko/

EMPOWERHOUSE lanuches its contribution to the 16-day campaign by sharing 16 women’s community radio stories: unfolding how each broadcaster has been seeing positive change for women and girls – working intensely to eliminate violence against women and girls.

#16DAYS: WOMEN’S VOICES BREAKING THE SILENCE – DAY 12

by Empowerhouse / Birgitte Jallov

16 women working with community radio to strengthen the voices and lives of women in their area

Kanchan K. Malik, Community Media and Women Researcher, India

Kachan K. Malik (Ph.D) is a university professor at the University of Hyderabad and is a Faculty Fellow with the ‘UNESCO Chair on Community Media’, there, where she unfolds her work in support of community media in India and in South Asia with a particular focus on the importance of having women at the stations in all roles and functions.

Kanchan says she is a researcher, learning from the powerful people building community media where her journeys take her.

For over two and a half decades, Kanchan K. Malik’s academic interests and endeavours have been in Community and Alternative Media; Women and Community Media; Journalism Studies; and Media Ethics. She has worked with national and international research projects and published scholarly papers and chapters on media interventions by non-governmental organisations for empowerment at the grassroots level. Her research has also contributed to policy advocacy efforts for community radio in India.

Read more here: https://empowerhouse.dk/kanchan-k-malik-india/

EMPOWERHOUSE launches its contribution to the 16-day campaign by sharing 16 women’s community radio stories: unfolding how each broadcaster has been seeing positive change for women and girls – working intensely to eliminate violence against women and girls.

IAWRT Philippines raises concerns over journalist killings in Gaza

Executive Board, IAWRT Philippines

As our sisterhood holds the annual 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence, we, an organization of women in media in the Philippines, raise our concerns for the lives and safety of our fellow truthtellers who are covering the situation on the ground. This is per reports that are coming in that the seven-day ceasefire between Palestine and Israel ended, without so far, an agreement to extend it. 

In the last weeks, the world has witnessed the intensifying humanitarian crisis in Palestine as Israel continued to display its military might with airstrikes that targeted homes and hospitals. The lives and future of women and children of Palestine were put at risk, if not robbed by the powers-that-be who think that they can rise above the rubbles as victors. They are very much mistaken. 

Journalists were not spared in these indiscriminate bombings and attacks, with at least 58 of our fellow media workers left dead. With bombings happening yet again, we call on Israel to stop the bombings, resume ceasefire, and drop its objective of exterminating the Palestinians.

As journalists, it is our obligation to tell the truth, even at the expense of risking personal lives and security.  We honor and remember our colleagues for their courage and bravery and for responding to the call of duty.

We shall forever call and stand for peace. For human rights and human dignity.

Executive Board, IAWRT Philippines

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