Equal Voice

SDJF gives prime attention to the media and communication as a powerful tool in promoting gender equality. In many areas of the Sri Lankan m

edia including media productions, media presentations, media contents development, management, decision making, training and development opportunities, participation and representations are mostly dominated by males.

The way that the media reflects female roles are the greatest sign of stereotyping, intentionally or unintentionally. Even though, the females are sound in talents, most of them are given only the soft skill jobs such as copy editors, subordinates, low wage staff (print media) television presenters , fashion show producers, receptionist, voiceless announcers (electronic media), and none as fully fledged editors or columnists or investigative journalists.

One impediment, apart from the general political situation of the country, is that qualified and able female candidates are not choosing the field of journalism due to the poor remuneration involved. Lack of opportunities to enhance their professional stability which has resulted in poor bargaining power is the reason for poor remunerations for women.

The role of media in Sri Lanka, in empowering women has much journalistic aspects to concentrate. The contemporary media productions lacking the elements of encouraging woman participation, representation, addressing the empowerment needs of the women, addressing the issues that suppress the women decision making power, analyzing the economical perspectives of gender, encouraging women in to unconventional streams, localizing the weakness of the conventional ideologies on gender ect. A new media culture in enlightening the women’s’ issues is lacking among the Sri Lankan Media. Therefore, SDJF is hoping to make journalists aware and educated on above.

SDJF Women Media Wink (WMW)

In this context, SDJF has decided to conduct a series of national level training and awareness programmes through its women media wink, in two local languages, for the journalists and media managers/ decision makers in Mainstream and the community level media institutions. This training programme will comprise comprehensive modules including theory sessions, discussions, case studies, publications, group works, special seminar, study tour and media productions ect.

Apart from this, SDJF invite active women journalists at the community and mainstream level to be a part of its women media wink, which is committed to provide a national level network for the women journalist. The women wink will conduct regional workshops, researches, special trainings, capacity building programmes and continues influence to promote the gender equality in and through the media.

Objectives

• To identify core factors that suppress women voice in the media
• To improve the professionalism of women journalists and make them well aware about female rights in the media.
• To encourage the willingness of learning deferent disciplines on the role of media in empowering women.
• To develop the leadership qualities among the women journalist to successfully face the male dominated forces, in the media.
• To deeply brainstorm the strategies that can be used to uplift their decision making skills and opportunities.
• To make them aware about their roles in exposing gender issues in the community.
• To form a national forum for the journalists who are active in gender and creating networking facilities.