WACC believes that stereotyped and unequal representation of women and men in the mainstream media contributes to gender based discrimination and female poverty and is a major impediment to attaining gender equality, sustainable development and communication rights for all.(Read more about WACC's Media and Gender Justice Programme here:  http://www.waccglobal.org/en/programmes/media-and-gender-justice.html)

The following article explores challenges and opportunities for women in the media in Bangladesh…

By Pervez Bubul, for The Daily Star (Bangladesh)
 
The article originally appeared in The Daily Star on August 8.

Women have been doing noteworthy work as journalists in Bangladesh as well as elsewhere during the last decade. But their number in both print and electronic media in our country is less than expected. We need to recognize the challenges and explore the opportunities for women to encourage them.

WACC is one of many NGOs drawing attention to climate justice and the problems surrounding environmental reporting. Now, Reporters Without Borders has released a report confirming a serious increase in attacks on journalists and bloggers trying cover any kind of environmental damage. Those investigating industrial pollution or the destruction of forests are at particular risk.

Deforestation and Pollution says that, "Journalists have no difficulty covering global warming. Last year’s international conference in Copenhagen was accompanied by unprecedented coverage of environmental problems, even in those countries that are the most hostile to media freedom. But investigating the causes of global warming, which include deforestation and industrial pollution, continues to be much more dangerous. The main obstacle to quality independent coverage of these two issues is to be found in the complicity between the private sector (such as companies and involved in logging and mining) and local authorities."

By Ansel Herz, IPS (Interpress Service)

		PORT-AU-PRINCE, Jan 25, 2010 (IPS) - Throughout the earthquake's aftermath, the voices of many Port-Au-Prince radio stations have been loud and clear. Radio Solidarite 88.5 FM is one of the outlets to survive the tremors. It resumed broadcasts from its small studio, at the top of a two-storey building in the city's centre, once the staff found some gas for their generator just two days after the quake.
The radio hooked up outside the reporter's moto driver's house.(Credit:Ansel Herz/IPS)

 By María Teresa Aveggio, Programme Manager, WACC

Commitment to fair and just representation for all sectors of society has long been part of WACC’s communication vision. As such WACC has supported a number of practical initiatives aimed at changing the way disability is portrayed. In 1998 the quarterly journal Media Development (2/1998) brought together a number of articles on the many and varied issues related to communications and disabilities – questions of representation, of employment in the media industries, the need for universal design and for recognition and acceptance of difference, not sameness as a central, universal norm.