Putting Women and Women’s issues
in the Mainstream Media

"Choosing between getting mainstream women journalists to write about women’s issues, and getting women activists to write for the media, it is far easier to work with women who already have the perspective and care personally about the issues".

Suchita Vemuri, Women’s Features Service – senior editor Women’s Media Team

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Training women activists to write for the media was the aim of the ISIS media project that UNIFEM sponsored at the Asia-Pacific Beijing +5 Intergovernmental meeting held in Bangkok (26 –29 October, 1999).

Co-ordinated by Mavic Cabrera-Balleza and assisted by Lorna Israel from ISIS International (Manila), the ISIS media team – renamed the Women’s Media Team – comprised two editors:

• Rina Jimenez-David – Philippines,
• Suchita Vemuri – Women’s feature Service, New Dehli;

and 5 trainee media personnel from Asia-Pacific NGO’s:

• Adelle Khan – Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre, Fiji;
• Babita Basnet – Sancharika Samuha, Nepal;
• Fatmawati Salapuddin – Bangsamoro Women Foundation for Peace and development, Philippines;
• Lim Siu Ching – All Women’s Action Society, Malaysia;
• Ung Vanna – Khmer Women’s Voice Centre, Cambodia.

  This project is unique in that it seeks to fulfil two different, some might even say, contradictory goals, Rina Jimenez explained. It aims to:

  • influence mainstream media and ensure the coverage of the Asia-Pacific Preparatory Meeting and the entire Beijing Platform for Action review process; and
  • train members of women’s NGO’s on news coverage and reportage, and develop relationships with the media, so as to build women’s NGO’s capacity to carry out their own media and communication strategies.

Reports so far suggest that the Women’s Media Team has been successful in getting their stories into the mainstream media-

The team produced 21 stories that were sent through email and fax to about 100 media people (print, radio, and TV) across the region, and internationally through our link with the World Association of Community Broadcasters, reported Mavic.

The stories were circulated to subscribers at networks of WFS, and posted on the AWORC and UNIFEM websites.

Rina Jimenez David’s column in the Philippines Daily Inquirer was dedicated for the entire week to discuss the developments of the ESCAP meeting and the progress of the media team.

We were also able to make three phone patches to the Philippines and Malaysia during the conference.

Not everything ran smoothly for the media team. Difficulties gaining access to facilities, cancellation of a scheduled press conference, and the last minute financial approval of support meant the team had to work a little harder. But they succeeded!

On the other hand the media skills training proceeded without a hitch. The women trainees attended workshops/lectures on ‘reporting and coverage’, ‘packaging a story’, and ‘how to conduct a media campaign’. They also received one-on-one tuition when editing their articles.

UNIFEM was interested in how the trainees were finding their experience, so we spoke to two of them – Adelle Khan from the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre, and Lim Siu Ching from All Women’s Action Society, Malaysia. Here’s what they had to say:

I have an increased understanding of the importance of lobbying general media, said Adelle. I have also learnt how to package articles for general community……They have to be newsy items, and it is also useful to get quotes from know people.

I also have an increased understanding and awareness of issues facing women – a more international focus.

I have learnt how to package information, what you need to put into statements to impact on readers, said Lim. You need to know how to package, present, and grab attention.

We also learnt how important it is to know the terminology for the topic you are writing about – you need to suit the terminology for the setting, and use positive words.

When asked how this experience has helped them for when they get back home, they said:

In Malaysia not many people know about the Beijing Paltform, Lim admitted. When I get back it will be my challenge to put it into the general media. I also intend to help develop the media skills of my colleagues.

I will be able to talk and write about the Beijing process and what governments said they will undertake, not only through Fiji, but also through the 30 regional members of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre, said Adelle. The experience has been extremely worthwhile. I have made contacts with appropriate people in government, and when I get back I can go straight to the source and avoid bureaucracy.

The Women’s Media Team intends to continue their training and the media and information campaign until the General Assembly Session on Women 2000 in June 2000.

We will continue training online through a mailing list that has been set up by ISIS. Team members are required to write at least one article a month on the Beijing process. These articles will be distributed amongst team members, edited by either myself, Rina, or Suchita, and distributed to the general media, reported Mavic.

UNIFEM would like to congratulate the Women’s Media Team, on a job well done. Keep up the good work!

You can read the stories written by the Women’s Media Team about the Asia-Pacific Beijing +5 meeting at the AWORC web site: http://www.jca.apc.org/aworc/bpfa/gov/escap/front.html

To find out more about ISIS and their activities visit their web site at: http://www.isiswomen.org/

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Date: 21Nov1999