Gender rights activists and media researchers at a workshop on Saturday stressed the importance of concerted efforts by both the government and media institutions to allocate resources for gender-sensitive reporting and inclusive editorial policies.
They made the call while facilitating the workshop titled 鈥楪ender-Sensitive Reporting for Journalists and Women Human Rights Defenders鈥� organised by Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment in Dhaka city, as part of Promoting Women鈥檚 Equality and Rights in Bangladesh project, said a press release of the non-government organisation.
They shared that many media outlets failed to prioritise gender policies within their editorial frameworks, leading to biased and insensitive coverage.
The facilitators highlighted the importance of initiatives to strengthen capacity of journalists and human rights defenders, urging the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Press Institute Bangladesh and the Directorate for Women Affairs to take immediate initiatives to provide nationwide gender-sensitive reporting training and formulate gender-sensitive policies, particularly for the newsrooms.
Assistant professor Afroja Shoma of the Department of Media and Mass Communication at American International University鈥揃angladesh, rights activist Sheikh Manjur E Alam, consultant on rights and gender issues Sanaiya Ansari, and Dainik Amar Desh deputy editor Sultan Mahmud facilitated the session attended by at least 20 journalists and rights activists.
