WAO’s International Women’s Day Saksi – Celebrating Gender Progressive Journalism

On Monday, 8th March, Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) hosted the International Women’s Day Gender Progressive Journalism Panel Discussion. The online panel discussion featured panelists from Malaysia, Netherlands, Indonesia and Spain. 

The virtual event brought together an inspiring panel of women in the journalism and communication industries from around the world to discuss the gender biases and discrimination they face in their local contexts, and to share good practices on how to turn the tide and foster gender progressive journalism. 

Netherlands Ambassador, H.E. Aart Jacobi, gave welcoming remarks at the Panel Discussion and announced their collaboration with WAO on the Saksi – Gender Progressive Journalism project.

WAO’s Saksi Project

This panel discussion is part of a larger initiative called Saksi, which aims to work collaboratively with journalists in Malaysia to build capacities of industry stakeholders and mobilise networks to ensure progressive, equitable and feminist coverage and reporting. 

Malaysia has acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and thus has a duty to ensure that gender sensitivity in media is taken seriously. 

News media and news reporting has a direct impact on how society views women and women’s issues. The SAKSI project directly addresses the media’s vital role in bringing about  more holistic understanding, representation and reporting of gender issues. 

A lack of gender sensitivity in media manifests in poor headline choices that victim blame or sensationalise,  the way news is reported; and how much priority is given to gender representation in the content of news media. 

Gender Equality Through Journalism

Journalism is an important tool for delivering key messages to society on issues of women and gender across the nation. 

SAKSI Gender Progressive Journalism is part of WAO’s ongoing efforts to not only ensure that media is gender-sensitive in reporting, but is empowered to use their collective voices to call for change. 

“We have an obligation to our women. We need to collaborate with women in the media to develop and support news and safe engagement platforms for women’s voices, views, realities and priorities to be heard. Above all, we need to rethink content, and reframe news with a gender lens. 

Saksi is a platform that listens to the voices of women, and reports on the change women call for. That is the power of the media, and the power of voice”, said Sumitra Visvanathan.

As said by the Netherlands Embassy during the event – “Changing the stereotyped roles of women in the media is one of the priorities of the Netherland’s government. We are integrating gender in every aspect of foreign policy, with particular attention to gender-based violence. Gender mainstreaming is one key approach of the Dutch government  to strive for Global Gender equality. Gender equality is not just a goal in and of itself; but it is also widely regarded as a means to solving issues in society everywhere. I hope the result of our cooperation with Women’s Aid Organisation will be a more progressive media practice throughout Malaysia.”

For further information, and to stay engaged with the Saksi initiative, please visit our social media platform on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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About Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO)

Since 1982, Women’s Aid Organisation has provided free shelter, counselling, and crisis support to women and children who experience abuse. We help women and their children rebuild their lives, after surviving domestic violence, rape, trafficking, and other atrocities. Learning from women’s experiences, we advocate to improve public policies and shift public mindsets. Together, we change lives.

Call the WAO Hotline at 03 3000 8858 or SMS/Whatsapp TINA at 018 988 8058 if you or someone you know is experiencing abuse. For more information, visit wao.org.my.

For more information, please contact:

Hannah Reshma Jambunathan
Capacity Building Officer
hannah@wao.org.my/ +6012 696 695

Rusni Tajari
Senior Advocacy Officer
rusnitajari@wao.org.my / +6013 380 2287