Working Committees Based on Strategic Plan 2020-2024

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES – Management Committees are established by the International Board (IB) to deal with specific organisational and management issues on behalf of and referring to the IB. They are: An Organisational Development committee; Fundraising committee, International Relations committee, Communication & Membership committee; Elections committee (elected by members); Chapter activities committee; Affiliated Women & Media Organisations’ Committee; UN/CSW committee; and the Advisory committee (See Strategic Plan for background)

THEMATIC COMMITTEES: Operate in priority areas with a clearly defined mandate and report directly to the IB. Chairs of the IAWRT committees can represent IAWRT and get involved in different activities and actions within their area of responsibility. Committees consist of board members and ordinary IAWRT members. The work areas presented above are within the thematic themes and goals. Established committees and their responsibilities are presented in the Organogram 


MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES:

International Board – See Statutes and Guiding Documents for Roles and Responsibilities

Secretariat:  IAWRT will within the present strategic plan strive to mobilise sufficient resources to recruit a Director and Finance Officer. At the time of formulating the 2020-2024 Strategic plan, IAWRT employed a fulltime Communication Officer, Membership Officer, a part-time Web-Master, Web Journalist, and a professional Accountant. The IAWRT secretariat is located in the Philippines.

Communications Committee:
International board secretary Mandira Raut, co-chair (Nepal); Lady Ann Salem, chair (Philippines), international board members Dr. Anjali Monteiro (India) and Kreshma Fakhri (Afghanistan; exiled in Turkey); Wirngo Patience Ntubu (Cameroon); Nelly Moraa (Kenya); Purva Indulkar (India)

The Communications Committee ensures that all IAWRT’s diverse stakeholders are informed about the organisation’s priorities and activities. Stakeholders include Chapters, Members, Affiliated Women & Media organizations, Partners including funding partners, Women’s organizations, international organizations and the general public. It will encourage and facilitate the active participation of IAWRT members and use interactive platforms and social media for dialogue, debate and feedback. The committee will work to ensure the active engagement of members and launch active membership drives in coordination with existing chapters and affiliated women & media organisations. The committee will publish regular e-newsletters, maintain the website and social media handles/pages and update the database and mailing list. This committee will serve as a collector and aggregator of all information from IAWRT members and chapters

Organizational and Development Committee:
IAWRT International President Dr. Michelle Ferrier (USA), chair; IAWRT International Vice President Jola Diones-Mamangun (Philippines), co-chair; IAWRT International board treasurer Josephine Karani (Kenya); Violet Gonda (UK/Zimbabwe); Birgitte Jallov (Denmark); Frieda Werden (Canada)

To keep pace with the changing scenario for IAWRT, this committee looks into the structural development; reconstituting and reworking on the blueprint for organizational growth, drafting a code of conduct; formulating election methods and to charting out the roadmap for fundraising.

Fundraising:
Dr. Michelle Ferrier (USA), chair; Josephine Karani (Kenya), co-chair; Jola Diones-Mamangun (Philippines); Sheila Dallas-Katzman (USA); Racheal Nakitare (Kenya)

The Fundraising committee has been entrusted with the task of devising plans and methods to swim, and not be dependent on a single funder; to spread the work internationally and to activate all chapters in fundraising, both for local and international work.

Membership Committee:

Mandira Raut (Nepal), chair; Solita Virtudazo (Philippines), co-chair; IAWRT International board member Raziah Mwawanga (Tanzania); Jola Diones-Mamangun (Philippines); Ngubienwu Nicoline (Cameroon); Nankwanga Eunice Kasirye (Uganda)

The committee works to consolidate current members, build networks for the expansion of membership, recruit new members and establish new chapters.

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Chapter Activities:
Mandira Raut (Nepal); Secretary supervises the 15 Chapter Heads

The main objective of this committee is to involve Chapter Heads and members in IAWRT projects and build the ownership of Chapters in the Association. The chapter activities committee under the aegis of IAWRT International Board Secretary will act as a bridge between the International Board and local Chapters/individual members. facilitate better communication and put in place a feedback system between Chapters and the Board. It will work towards enhancing the image of the Association and also assist in giving visibility to the brand of IAWRT among members and in countries. 

Elections Committee:
Meet the Elections Committee 2022: Nonee Walsh (Australia), Frieda Werden (Canada), Rose Mwalimu (Tanzania), Anupa Shrestha (Nepal), and Hanan Elgendi (Egypt).

Guided by the statutes, the guiding documents and if applicable the decisions of the members and the sitting International Board, the committee will ensure fair and smooth elections.

Advisory Board: To be activated Christine Runbro (Sweden), Olya Booyar (Australia), Frieda Werden (Canada), Racheal Nakitare (Kenya), Gunilla Ivarsson (Sweden), Violet Gonda (Zimbabwe/United Kingdom)

This committee will comprise of past IAWRT Presidents, who will be invited to share their institutional memory, experience, knowledge and wisdom and give input to the IAWRT International Board on organizational developmental issues, financial-fundraising and other important matters. Its role will be ‘Advisory’ only. 


THEMATIC COMMITTEES: 

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Mentorship Committee:

Dr. Anjali Monteiro (India), chair; Lynda Garcia (Philippines), co-chair; Fatuma Matulanga (Tanzania), Mandira Raut (Nepal); Geeta Sahai (India)

IAWRT offers the mentorship program to its members, where members can either be mentors or mentees and work on a project for the duration of the program.

Regional/Biennial Committee:

Raziah Mwawanga (Tanzania), chair; Ananya Chakraborti (India), co-chair; Tchonko Becky Bissong (Cameroon)

The committee works to prepare and facilitate the regional and biennial meetings of IAWRT.

Long Documentary:
Elizabeth Miller (Canada), Nupur Basu (India), Kristine Ramm/Nefise Lorentzen (Norway), Ilang Ilang Quijano (Philippines), Valarie Lew (RIP)

IAWRT regularly produces a documentary on a topical, relevant and introspective theme which incorporates contributions from directors in different countries. The committee recommends the theme, advertises for and recommends on the selection of the executive director, who oversees the project in consultation with the committee which ensures the documentary meets its aim, budget and deadline.

GLOBAL DSH COMMITTEE

Jola Diones-Mamangun (Philippines), chair; Birgitte Jallov (Denmark); Josephine Karani (Kenya); Violet Gonda (UK/Zimbabwe); Greta Gober (Poland)

IAWRT-PHILIPPINES – DSH
IAWRT-Philippines Chapter

The IAWRT Digital Safehouse (DSH) pilot project in the Philippines built an online platform that will link journalists’ safety programs and efforts and launched it in 2021.

IAWRT-Afghanistan – DSH

AWRT-Afghanistan Chapter’s Najiba Ayubi, Basir Quraishi, Reena Mohan, Nupur Basu

IAWRT Digital Safe House (DSH) & collaboration platform for Afghan women journalists both in Afghanistan and in exile. The DSH-Afghanistan is a one-stop or first-stop digital hub for Afghan women journalists at-risk and those seeking support in the face of online and offline attacks, abuse and violence.

IAWRT-Moldova – DSH

Birgitte Jallov (Denmark), Alina Radu (Moldova), Greta Gober (Poland), Jola Diones-Mamangun (Philippines), Mariana Colun (Moldova)

The Digital Safe House is operating 24/7 as a digital platform for reporting cases of harassment or attacks, aggregating support to respond to these attacks, aggregating skills and capacity building networks for the prevention, handling or recovery from attacks or threats for [women] journalists in Moldova

Afghanistan Support Committee

Nupur Basu (India), chair; Dr. Anjali Monteiro (India), co-chair; Reena Mohan (India); Najeeba Ayubi (Afghanistan, exiled in US); Basir Quarashi (Afghanistan, exiled in Pakistan); Kreshma Fakhri

UN/CSW:
Sheila Dallas-Katzman (USA) and IAWRT-USA – Chapter

To promote and strengthen IAWRT’s standing in international fora and to devise/plan/execute IAWRT activities at the UN Commission on the Status of Women gathering which is held each year at UN headquarters. To plan and organise the CSW parallel events for IAWRT during the annual 2- week CSW in New York

Climate Change: Sheila Katzman(USA), Jola Diones-Mamangun (Philippines), Pamela Morgan, Nankwanga Eunice Kasirye (Uganda), Frieda Werden (Canada)

“My Climate Change Story: Cellphone Cinema Workshop” prepares women globally with an intergenerational lens to go into their communities and use their cell phones to create a 3 a 7-minute vignette about their own climate change stories.
Mentoring Committee:Reena Mohan (India) and Mandira Raut (Nepal)

Everyone needs good mentors at some stage of life to enrich/nurture personal and professional growth. The IAWRT Online Mentorship Program was conceptualized following feedback at the 2020 virtual Biennial and is aimed at providing opportunities for skill enhancement or professional advancement.

IAWRT Films Festivals
IAWRT-INDIA chapter holds the annual Asian Women’s Film Festival

Build a strategy for the future of IAWRT Film Festivals in Africa and Asia as well as for radio and film awards programme.

INACTIVE COMMITTEES THAT CAN BE RE-ACTIVATED/ RECONSTITUTED

International Relations Committee:
Abeer Saady (Egypt/Germany), Lynda Garcia (Philippines), Greta Gober (Poland), Sheila Dallas-Katzman (USA), Fiona Martin (Australia), Lady Ann Salem (Philippines), Nonee Walsh (Australia)

The role is to establish relationships (with Media Assisting Organizations, UN bodies, freedom of expression or gender-related NGOs and Press Unions), contribute to building partnerships in campaigning for freedom of expression and safety, organizing safety (offline and online) campaigns and training. The Committee will work closely with the Communications Committee to develop an annual calendar – to issue statements and or activities in collaboration with strategic partners on specific days, or in case of specific issues that are related to its core concerns like the International Press Freedom Day. The committee will receive safety alerts from women in and around media, which will be disseminated widely in collaboration with the Communications Committee.

The Committee for historical reasons will also handle two safety-oriented work areas – also presented under action-area committees: 1. Safety Training and lack of impunity in cases of journalist’s safety. 2. Safety of the Media and Online harassment projects – improving the safety of women journalists, tool kit for women journalists etc. A sub-committee will deal with the sometimes-intense relations with the Global Alliance for Media and Gender (GAMAG) which was founded in 2013 with the support of UNESCO. IAWRT is a member of the GAMAG Interim Steering Committee (ISC) with a special responsibility to act as a link between media practitioners and media research. This sub-committee is headed by Greta Gober.

Online harassment, cyber-bullying and online safety:

Abeer Saady (Head), Greta Gober
The online harassment, cyber bullying and online safety committee is responsible to continually define and update IAWRT’s response to the ever-changing challenges – especially for women – in the online world. The committee initially does this through its work with Safety of women in Media and Online harassment projects – improving the safety of women journalists, dissemination of information, advice, and safety training based in the IAWRT tool kit for women journalists.

Gender Mainstreaming Project:
Greta Gober (Poland), Archana Kapoor (India).

The GMP Committee spearheads the 2018 UNESCO funded phase of the Gender Mainstreaming Project. The aim is to expand on IAWRT’s work on mainstreaming gender equality in and through the media to benefit all 14 countries where IAWRT has chapters., The plan is to to develop a handbook for media students, journalists, and media professionals, and to hold workshops. Contact: [email protected]

GAMAG contact group:
Greta Gober (Poland) – IAWRT Rep to GAMAG, Gunilla Ivarsson (Sweden) and Carolyn Byerly (USA).

GAMAG – The Global Alliance for Media and Gender – was founded 2013 with the support of UNESCO. IAWRT is a member of the GAMAG ISC (interim steering committee) with a special responsibility to act as a link between media practitioners and media research.

Mobile/Community radio project:
Jola Diones-Mamangun (Philippines), Archana Kapoor (India), Frieda Werden (Canada) and Rose Mwalimu (Tanzania).

Oversees the Philippines women-led disaster risk reduction mobile community radio station project, which is aimed at offering marginalized sectors and communities as well as humanitarian workers in Typhoon Haiyan-hit areas, the chance to be their own voice and empower themselves in preparation for other natural or and man-made disasters in the future.

Rural women and the Media:
Birgitte Jallov (Denmark), Iphigenie.Marcoux-Fortier (Canada) and Mercedes Arleen Perez (Philippines).

This committee was initiated early 2018 and its preliminary working objective is to “amplify rural women’s voices through their innovative use of communication and media for a visible and empowered presence on communication and media platforms, setting their own agenda, fighting for their rights” A pilot project has begun with The Blue Light Star Women’s Group, based in Ndivisi village, in Bungoma County of Western Kenya. More details The Committee is also working to formulate the most effective way forward, looking to how research, training and facilitation can put rural women in the driver’s seat, using media and other communication platforms to advance their agendas, positively influencing their empowerment and the development of their communities. IAWRT has set up a special committee with experts in this field to develop a concrete four-year plan based on this evaluation. 

Scholarships:
Abeer Saady (Egypt), and Olivia Tumanjong (Cameroon/USA).

IAWRT International regularly invites members from countries in the global south, who have started or want to start studies or training in journalism, mass communication, or related fields, to apply for one-year (or less) scholarships. The committee assesses the applications, oversees compliance with the terms of the scholarships and ensures recipients report back on activities.

Harassment of journalists in elections and around political participation in Africa, Asian/Arab countries:
Archana Kapoor (Head) 

Develop an action plan on harassment of female candidates/ agents/ journalists/ voters in elections and political participation in Africa, Asian/Arab countries – where IAWRT has chapters/members. In countries where there are no elections during the monitoring period, the project would extend to other political scenarios. The outcome will include development of a handbook, podcasts or radio programmes