The Women for Independent and Responsible Media conference was organised by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in collaboration with Individualland and Friedrich Neumann Foundation on Saturday.
The women journalists demanded a review of the salary structure for media people, especially for Urdu print media journalists.
Women journalists from all over the country attended the conference where they discussed issues pertaining to women in media organisations, unions and during field work. The journalists shared inspiring stories of struggle in three interactive sessions and spoke of issues that have hitherto not been raised.
The women journalists said that those who raised their voices for the rights of others almost never had the opportunity to highlight their own. They condemned the practice of firing women employees when they demanded maternity leave.
The participants demanded proper representation of women at decision taking levels and said they too should be considered for administrative posts in media houses on merit. They regretted that several organisations were reluctant to consider women for the Wage Board and urged unions to take up the issue with the government.
The participants demanded that unions provide women journalists council membership so that they could vote in union elections. They highlighted differences in issues faced by electronic media anchors and field reporters of print and electronic media. Unfortunately there is lack of resolve in addressing the issues faced by print reporters, they said.
The issues of journalists who had been let go due to downsizing had not been addressed at any level, the participants said. They demanded welfare schemes and monthly stipends for them and urged the media community to address the issue of retention of women journalists as well.
The participants also shared stories of harassment they had faced at the work place and demanded the effective implementation of the Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act and harassment committees in all media organisations and elected bodies.
PFUJ President Afzal Butt said the union leadership was aware about the lack of representation of women in decision making bodies. He announced that the National Press Club’s constitution would be amended to include women journalists at four decision making positions who would be selected through elections.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2014.