Media Release: SAMSN
1 August 2013
The eleventh annual meeting of the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) at Kathmandu, welcomes the integration of gender issues into the SAMSN agenda through the initiative of gender roundtables in several countries of the region. These round-tables have culminated in the first gender networking conference of SAMSN and the adoption of a gender charter in Kathmandu, Nepal.
SAMSN seeks to be the common voice of journalists from South Asia. It represents all regional affiliates of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in coalition with journalists' organisations and press freedom partners working for a free and fair media founded on sound and ethical journalism.
SAMSN notes with deep concern the attacks on democracy and the growing fundamentalism, intolerance, militarisation and civil strife in most countries in South Asia. This climate encourages the increasing number of violent attacks on journalists, prevents the entry of women into journalism and also puts women journalists at greater risk.
Women journalists at the SAMSN meeting have reported increasing threats and attacks, particularly in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. SAMSN demands impartial and speedy investigation and swift prosecution of the guilty in all cases where women journalists have been killed, attacked and intimidated. Both employers and the state must bear the burden of medical treatment and provide compensation to affected journalists and their families. SAMSN also notes with concern the increasing cases of sexual harassment at the workplace in the entire South Asia region.
SAMSN commits itself to promoting gender justice and equality of opportunity for all media professionals regardless of caste, class, ethnicity, religion or minority status and demand that:
· Women journalists must be offered equal professional opportunities in recruitment, training and employment, assignments and promotions, job security and security at the workplace.
· Media houses must adopt clear anti-discrimination policies.
· Media employers must ensure mechanisms to ensure safety, particularly provision of transport for those who work at night or are sent out on critical assignments; as well as provision for insurance of all employees.
· Laws against sexual harassment at the workplace be introduced and implemented in all eight South Asian countries. Employers must deal with such problems in a fair, impartial and lawful manner.
· The recognition of parental rights of all journalists and provision of maternity and paternity leave, flexible working hours and childcare services by media employers.
· Media content must include a range of female perspectives, including in reports and analyses of politics, crime, economics, national security and war.
As a coalition of journalists’ organisations and trade unions, SAMSN commits to encouraging the greater participation of women in its activities and to the creation of gender committees within all partner organisations to implement campaigns against sexual harassment.
The eleventh meeting of SAMSN endorses the Gender Charter (SAMSN Gender Charter.pdf) that emerged from the regional networking conference as an official document.
For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0918
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