Dili, October 29, 2024 (Média Denicracia) – The Timor Leste Journalists Association, Zevonia Vieira, said that so far they have been monitoring male and female sources in newspapers and also in sources that are dominated by men with a percentage of 90% compared to women with a percentage of 10%. This was conveyed by the President of AJTL to journalists at the Haburas Foundation, last Thursday.
According to AJTL President Zevonia Vieira, in this situation the real task of journalists is to provide space for women to speak about various aspects, such as media needs or health, economy or education. Journalists must start thinking about gender sensitivity, women can speak in all aspects.
“We monitor female and male newspaper and also sources that are more dominated by men with 90% and women only 10%, this is also our fault, the editorial team is dominated by men who do not understand, do not have sensitivity to gender equality and inclusivity, so it does not help journalists to provide a balanced place for men and women including people with disabilities, LGBT groups to talk about their perspectives.” Said the President of AJTL
She continued, in large institutions dominated by men, journalists must also have awareness and consideration so that women can speak in all aspects so that women’s space is wider and they can speak in public about things that they know and concern such as education in schools. Why are only men speaking? Why can’t journalists provide space for women to speak there?
“Another failure is from the media, as journalists sometimes we don’t know that all the sources are men when we do interviews, especially in elections, because political parties like the president and the secretary general are all men who speak, how can young women in the party speak if your party wins like young people will speak, what can they do? They never think that way.” She said.
She added that this is an obstacle for journalists, therefore before and after the AJTL period, they continue to promote Gender Equality starting from the redaktion room and also provide training for journalists to continue to bring journalists closer to carrying out balanced coverage at news sources, because with the perspectives of women and men in the news, be sure that women’s space will be wider to convey their thoughts.
“I see many young women becoming leaders, speaking up to make a change especially about climate change, how to be a leader for young people to speak up about the impact of the environment, the impact of climate change for young people in the future, but why don’t we give them a chance to speak up? We ask journalists why? We think they will dominate with the party culture, leaders are dominated by men so we just follow their thinking, this is what we need to change our mindset about inequality.” She said.
She added that AJTL always speaks in trainings involving journalists in the field of video editing and the Press Council always starts from the needs of the editorial team to encourage women to lead the media, become editors-in-chief, become editors, become directors like in Timor Post and others.
“My hope is that when we give the editor-in-chief or editor to a woman, I am sure that automatically the news will be balanced and promote gender equality related to the issues circulating where women are always the object of someone’s thoughts such as news that reports about short pants or sexual harassment where the media itself makes it a discrimination that shows women have no power, women must just think because the editorial is dominated by men which results in news that degrades women and always degrades the dignity and honor of women.” She explained.
It was further explained that women are the objects of news, more often associated with sexual harassment or domestic violence, so AJTL hopes to continue to strive to approach through training in order to change the mindset of society which has been dominated by patriarchal culture, so that the media appreciates the role and leadership of women starting from the editorial team so that the news has a gender perspective in every news item published by journalists to the public.
Reposted by : Nelfiano
Photo : Estefania