ABU gender workshop pushes equality forward

Experts from six Asia-Pacific broadcasters gathered in Malaysia to advance the cause of gender equality in the region’s media. 

The two-day workshop in Kuala Lumpur was organised by the ABU and UNESCO to develop gender-sensitive indicators for the six media organisations to implement and track their gender equality programs.

Doordashan India, the Maldives Broadcasting Commission, RTM-Malaysia, HUM TV of Pakistan, Thai PBS and Voice of Vietnam have signed up for the pilot project to develop gender diversity plans within their organisations.

Using UNESCO’s Gender Sensitive Indicators for Media – which have been developed with the help of the ABU – the workshop was conducted by Ms Chrissie Tucker, Diversity Manager of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Mr Martin Hadlow, Secretary General of AMIC based in Singapore.

Over the coming two years, the ABU will assist the six organisations in implementing their plans in employment and content development.  The project will be showcased during UNESCO’s Global Forum on Media and Gender in Bangkok, in December 2013.

The initiative is part of the ABU’s strategy to roll out gender equality programs in broadcasters across the region based on the “Broadcasting for All: Focus on Gender” project that has been developed by a number of ABU partners.

This strategy builds on work the ABU has implemented over the past three years and includes a major forum, practical workshops and projects developed for empowering and involving girls and women through media.v