DILI, 25 july 2024 (TATOLI) – Recognizing the critical role of media in shaping respectful and inclusive news to combat gender-based violence, Fundasaun Media Development Center (FMDC), UN Women, the Secretary of State for Equality and Secretary of State for Social Communication today handed over the Gender Sensitive Reporting resources including Handbook, Pocket Guide and Gender Sensitive Reporting Monitoring tools to the National Press Council of Timor-Leste. These knowledge products, developed under the KOICA-funded Together for Equality project, aim to assist media personnel in gender-sensitive reporting and monitoring.
The Press Council of Timor-Leste, an independent advisory body that promotes freedom of expression and the independence of the media, will now utilize these resources to further its mission of enhancing journalists’ professional skills. This handover ceremony aims to:
- Enhanced Knowledge and Resource Utilization: The National Press Council will effectively utilize the Gender-Sensitive Reporting Handbook, Pocket Guide, monitoring guidelines, and assessment tools, leading to improved media reporting practices.
- Strengthened Accountability and Standards: The Press Council’s commitment to promoting gender-sensitive reporting will result in higher standards and accountability among media outlets.
- Increased Inclusivity and Awareness: Media personnel, journalism students, and civil society organizations will exhibit greater awareness and improved skills in gender-sensitive reporting, fostering a more inclusive and accurate media environment.
“At UN Women, our commitment to advancing gender equality and empowering women is unwavering. The Gender-Sensitive Reporting Handbook and Pocket Guide offer practical guidance on reporting on gender-based violence fairly, impartially, and while respecting the integrity of survivors. It emphasizes the importance of amplifying survivors’ voices, breaking the silence surrounding gender-based violence, and fostering a culture of accountability. I encourage all media organizations to embrace this handbook and integrate its principles into their reporting practices.” said Amy Nishtha Satyam, Head of Office UN Women Timor-Leste.
Under this partnership, FMDC has trained media personnel, journalism students, and civil society organizations to improve skills and accuracy in reporting, particularly on Gender-Based Violence. Key achievements include:
- Training 135 journalists and journalism students in gender-sensitive reporting.
- Developing a comprehensive handbook and pocket guide for Gender-Sensitive Reporting.
- Creating a gender-sensitive monitoring tool.
- Organizing a Gender-Sensitive Reporting Awards Competition for traditional and online media.
- Advocacy and collaboration efforts leading to commitments from the Press Council and media outlets to promote Gender-Sensitive Reporting principles.
Recognizing the significant role of the media in influencing public perceptions and societal norms, the Press Council reaffirmed its strong commitment to promoting and integrating gender-sensitive news reporting practices. “The Gender Sensitive Report Handbook, Pocket Guide and tools for monitoring Gender Sensitive Reporting will significantly enhance the Press Council of Timor-Leste’s efforts to elevate media proficiency in gender-sensitive reporting. By equipping journalists with essential tools and comprehensive guidance, we enable authentic, accurate, and sensitive reporting on gender equality and violence against women. This initiative reaffirms our unwavering commitment to promoting a media culture of respect, accountability, and transformative change.” said Mr. Otelio Ote, President of the National Press Council.
This partnership between FMDC and UN Women aims to mobilize media personnel, youth, and community members to support gender equality and safety in public spaces. By training media personnel, journalism students, and civil society organization staff in gender-sensitive reporting, the initiative also focuses on monitoring gender-sensitive reporting in Timor-Leste and increasing public knowledge, particularly among youth, to promote gender equality and safety.
The initiative directly contributes to the National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence (NAP-GBV) 2022-2032, particularly its prevention pillar. The Secretary of State for Equality, who leads the NAP-GBV implementation, acknowledged the pivotal role of the media in shaping societal attitudes towards gender equality and ending violence against women and girls. “The media can shape societal attitudes and behaviors by reporting accurately and sensitively on gender equality and violence against women and girls. Journalists can challenge harmful norms, amplify survivors’ voices, and foster accountability and respect. I commend the Press Council for its leadership in promoting gender-sensitive reporting, driving positive change towards a more equal and safe society for all.” stated H.E. Elvina Sousa Carvalho, Secretary of State for Equality.
This initiative also aligns with the Constitution of Timor-Leste, which guarantees freedom of the press and media. The government is committed to enhancing the gender perspective in media and encouraging programs that promote official languages, national identity, citizenship education, women’s roles in society, and technical and scientific knowledge. “Promoting gender-sensitive reporting strengthens our commitment to a free and independent media. It empowers journalists to champion equality, uphold cultural heritage, and ensure diverse voices are heard, fostering a more informed and inclusive Timor-Leste.” stated H.E. Expedito Dias Ximenes, Secretary of State for Social Communication.
This event represents a significant milestone in fostering more responsible and inclusive media practices. It ensures that the knowledge and tools developed under the project will continue to be utilized and promoted, thereby sustaining the impact of the Together for Equality project well into the future.
Together for Equality (Hamutuk ba Igualdade): Preventing and Responding to Gender-Based Violence in Timor-Leste is jointly implemented by four UN agencies (IOM, UNDP, UNFPA and Women) in collaboration with the Secretary of State for Equality, through the generous funding of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Timor-Leste. The 4 year programme that is implemented from November 2020-November 2024 is aim to:
- Transformed attitudes, behaviours and social norms promoted at individual and inter-personal levels to prevent GBV
- Improved access to essential public services (health, justice and social services) for women and girls, among other survivors of violence, informed by evidence-based responses to GBV.
- Enhanced legislation and policy environment for eliminating violence against women and girls and other forms of gender discrimination, is in place and translated into action.
TATOLI
Source: UN Women Timor-Leste
