BANGKOK, 2 December 2013, Global Forum on Media and Gender is being held in Bangkok from December 2-4 with participants from 80 countries representing various continents. It hopes to initiate processes that will promote ongoing actions and gender equality and women’s empowerment in and through media.
The event, being held at the Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel, is organized by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Thammasat University. Hundreds of participants from media organizations, civil society, governments, UN agencies, business and human rights organizations have gathered to discuss and evaluate trends in gender inequalities in the media in order to formulate collective and creative solution to reduce gender disparities.
The three-day event started off with welcoming address from Mr. Chaturon Chaisang, Minister of Education, stating the importance of this first Global Forum on Media and Gender as a follow up to concerns expressed in Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action focusing on Women and the Media Diagnosis. He also mentioned that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thailand’s first female Prime Minister, has actively encouraged more extensive women’s engagement in politics, economics and social development.
Several issues were raised by participants on the first day of the event, including women’s access to technology, safety of female reporters during political tension, and how female youths are affected by the media.
UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Mr. Janis Karklins, is satisfied with the turn-outs and hopeful that the event will be able to address the various important issues involving gender and media in the future.
