The Media Reform Commission believes that prioritizing gender equality in the media is essential for creating a gender-equal society and has made several recommendations, including clear guidelines on how women should be represented to ensure gender equality at all levels.
The Media Reform Commission handed over its report to the chief adviser at the State Guest House Jamuna on Saturday, reports Bangla Tribune.
The recommendations made for creating a gender-equal environment in the media include:
- Removing gender discrimination in recruitment, appointments, and training to ensure the participation of all genders at all levels of the media.
- Each media outlet must prepare a gender-sensitive code of conduct and ensure its effective implementation through information dissemination, discussions, training, and monitoring. Infrastructure must also be provided to facilitate the smooth participation of all genders (e.g., separate toilets, childcare centers).
- Ensuring the safety and security of journalists, with a focus on prioritizing women's needs and exercising the highest level of caution. This includes providing transport arrangements for safe commuting.
- Creating a grievance redressal cell in each media office according to the High Court's Sexual Harassment Prevention Directive (2009).
- Taking mental health protective measures to help journalists cope with various pressures in the profession.
- Ensuring that women receive proper maternity leave and are not subjected to discrimination upon returning to work after leave.
- Developing clear guidelines and rules for how women should be portrayed in the media, and preparing policies to avoid promoting or propagating stereotypical ideas that create hatred, prejudice, or barriers to women’s free movement in all areas.
- Highlighting the multifaceted roles and participation of women in society, ensuring that women’s voices and perspectives are reflected in any news or feature.
- Preparing clear language guidelines to ensure that no direct or indirect disrespect is shown to women through words or descriptions.
To make the media independent, strong, and objective, the government issued a notification on November 18, establishing an 11-member Media Reform Commission under the interim government.
Senior Journalist Kamal Ahmed was appointed as the chairman of the commission.
The other members of the commission include: Professor Gitiara Nasreen of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at Dhaka University, Shamsul Huq Zahid, editor of The Financial Express and representative of the Editors' Council, Anjan Chowdhury, representative of the Association of Television Owners (ATCO) and managing director of Maasranga Television, Akhtar Hossain Khan, secretary of the Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (NOAB), Syed Abdal Ahmed, former general secretary of the National Press Club, Fahim Ahmed, CEO of Jamuna Television and trustee of the Broadcast Journalist Center, Jimi Amir, coordinator of the Media Support Network, Mostafa Shabuj, Bogra district correspondent for the Daily Star, Titu Dutta Gupta, deputy editor of Business Standard, and Abdullah Al Mamun, student representative.
