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From Classrooms to Newsrooms:
Promoting Media as a Career Option for Women in Pakistan

Research report produced by Uks for Internews, March 2009

(Full Report - PDF)

"Our mothers used to ask us to leave our jobs and stay at homes because of harassment. But you have to change the situation. In some organizations where women have taken a stand, gender bias issues have reached zero point .Change is possible only when you take the initiative and enlist the help of (both) your male and female colleagues."

– Afia Salam, Pakistani journalist - she was the first to cover sports in Karachi

Pakistani women have been traditionally bound by a few career openings considered proper for them. Apart from professions of teaching, and medicine all the rest are frowned upon by society.

To address this issue and to promote media positions as viable careers for women, Uks has teamed up with Internews Network under the banner of PWMN, Pakistani Women’s Media Network (PWMN). They produced this report – From Classrooms to Newsrooms: Promoting Media as a Career Option for Women in Pakistan – which includes transcripts from a series of four workshops which brought together prominent women journalists to interact with university students. They shared experiences and examined opportunities and methodologies to help the students adopt careers in the media.

The report also includes the results of a survey on women in mass communication and recommendations for overcoming barriers to women participating in media careers.

By producing this report and acting on its recommendations, PWMN plans to:

  • Advocate positive portrayal of women in media.
  • Ensure better/more representation in all tiers of the media.
  • Reinforce that women’s rights are human rights.
  • Highlight cases of harassment and discrimination against women in the media.
  • Provide strength and support to women in media.
  • Initiate open dialogue and critique of media trends that are damaging to women of/ in the media.
  • Bring forward success stories of women in the media.
  • Share information and resources.
  • Create awareness on the glass ceiling effect.
  • Endorse gender equality and justice within the media and society.

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