More than 60 women leaders and experts from the nine member nations of SWAN discussed the need invest in women’s sustainable development in Thimphu.
SWAN is the South Asia Women’s Network.
The country’s only woman Minister, Dorji Choden, at the opening of the SWAN’s sixth annual conference, remarked that traditional beliefs on the role of women in the society have restricted women’s opportunity.
“If we have to move forward as a region, if you are to achieve the various national, regional and global goals that we have set for ourselves, we have to focus on investing in women’s well-being…” said Lyonpo Dorji Choden.
Lyonpo said SWAN could be a strong mechanism to dispel gender related stereotyping, disparities and discriminations.
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The South Asia Women’s Network also launched the UNESCO-SWAN Media Initiative: Women For Change: Building a Gendered Media.
The initiative aims to promote happiness and development of women in South Asia.
A study by the UNESCO revealed media, particularly in the South Asian & Arab regions, have been resistant to the mainstreaming of gender and that women remain significantly underrepresented in the news industry. The study also revealed that women continue to be insensitively and stereo-typically portrayed.
“…If we want to change the mindsets of men and women about women’s problem, about gender equality, about gender empowerment then certainly the media has a very important role to play…” said SWAN’s Convener, Professor Veena Sikri.
The women media representatives from the region shared challenges they face back in their countries. Not portraying women as an agent of change but as victims, very few women in editorial decision making body, increasing number of women journalist dropping the profession and never seeking women’s opinion were cited as some of the challenges. It was concluded that awareness on such issues is essential.
Media Representative from News International, Islamabad, Mariana Baabar, said the awareness has to come from the men who are in charge in the journalist community. “So it is going to be long battle, it is not going to be easy.”
As the two-day conference ended today, recommendations included the need to sensitise the media to choose its content and build the capacity of women journalists to mainstream gender in reporting.
The next annual SWAN conference is to be held in Myanmar.
