LAHORE : The number of women journalists working in different capacities across various media platforms is less than five percent, according to the PFUJ report published in 2021 which was quoted by M Aftab Alam, Executive Director IRADA – Foundation for Research and Advocacy during a consultation meeting for enhancing women journalists’ membership in unions and press clubs held here on Wednesday.
The meeting was organised by IRADA with the support of Canada Funds for Local Initiatives (CFLI).
The state of women representation in the journalist unions and press clubs is abysmally low, lamented the speaker. “The situation can be attributed mainly to the systematic and structural and social barriers which hinder women to become part of the media institutions,” Syeda Kashmala, a gender a law expert highlighted.
During the meeting Alam referred to Gender Equality Assessment undertaken by IRADA and mentioned that access to employment opportunities to join the unions mainly depend on informal networks and personal trajectories.
While commenting on the state of women journalist representation in media institutions Ms Nasira Atiq, vice president Lahore Press Club, stressed upon opening up opportunities for women journalists to join the unions and media institutions.
“There is a need to reform rules of the game to enable women journalists for their free entry to media institutions,” said Ms Tamsila Chishti, a senior journalist and representative of Punjab Union of Journalists.
In his concluding remarks, Qamar Bhatti, general secretary Punjab Union of Journalists, promised to push for reforms in PFUJ constitution for affirmative actions to include more women in the decision-making processes and positions of PFUJ and regional journalists’ unions.
