Moot highlights women’s role in media

HYDERABAD: The media experts and senior journalists of Hyderabad have stressed upon the print and electronic media managers to encourage women folk in their media organisations and reverse the practice of gender discrimination in the society.

This they said while delivering lectures on the topic of Gender and Media at one-day workshop organised by the Management of Regional Information Office, Hyderabad in its premises today.

Addressing the workshop, senior journalist Adeel Pathan said that due to discriminatory attitude, only 3 percent of total employees in media organisations were female. He urged the media to play a vital role in this regard to reverse the concept of gender discrimination from the society.

In his lecture, Ashoke Kumar stressed upon the female media workers for self-assessment, motivation and learning to ensure skill development and competition in the media field. Placing examples of press clubs of other cities in the country having maximum number of female reporters, he stressed upon the media graduates to be pro-active and play their role by serving in the field.

He observed that female media reporters can form their group and can enhance their skills with help of different media organisations, and extended all out help from the management of Press Club, Hyderabad in this regard. Khalid Javed, a senior journalist in his lecture stressed for change in social behaviour of the society with reference to gender discrimination, through media.

He said that any one who advocated against gender discrimination could start his/her reforms from the home. He said that unfortunately, in this male composed society, gender discrimination starts from the birth of the child and the parents focus more on boys as compared to girls.

Regional Director Information Hyderabad, Imdad Ali Keerio said that his department is providing all opportunities of skill development to female Information Officers and internee under the NIP. He said that due to mushroom growth in media organisations, a big gap in demand and supply of media workers has emerged, and it is the high time to fill this gap through skill development, especially of women workers.

He stressed upon the academic institutions to review and redesign their syllabus of journalism and to update it according to requirements of present age, with provision of the field practice. He advised the female graduates that there is huge potential in the field of media and they should prefer their studying in Mass-Communication. The information of Regional Information Office, Hyderabad, reporters from APP, internees and officials from the information department attended the workshop.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:12/6/2009