Like in the above song, we women are marginalised in third world countries. Sri Lanka being the 53rd most populated nation in the world. We women represent 54% of the whole population of the country, which are about 20 million people. When it comes to journalism, the female representation is comparatively lower than any other professions such as teaching, banking, so on and so forth.

According to the handbook for media practitioners published by five media organisations comprising Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association, Free Media Movement, Federation of Media Employees Trade Unions, Sri Lanka Muslim Media Federation and Sri Lanka Tamil Journalists Association , it quotes the Human Development Report (HDR) of 2007; Sri Lanka’s Gender related Development Index (GDI) rank is 88 out of 177 countries. In comparison with its neighbours, it ranks higher than India at 128, Pakistan at 136, and Bangladesh at 140.

The handbook for the media practitioners further states that, the political participation of women in Sri Lanka is low. Seats in Parliament held by women are only 4.9% despite Late Mrs.Srimavo Bandaranaike becoming the world’s first female Prime Minister as far back as 1960. Sri Lanka was the first republic in the world whose two top executive offices were simultaneously held by women namely Mrs.Chanrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga as the President, and Late Mrs.Srimavo Banadaranaike as Prime Minister. In addition, both posts were filled through democratic elections. Despite these high achieving women as role models, there are only 10% women at a ministerial level in Government, and the percentage of legislators and senior officials is only 21%.

There are 25,000 war widows in Jaffna Peninsula alone, who are struggling to survive and feed their children daily according to a research carried out recently. Around 22% of all households in Sri Lanka are female headed.

We as journalists felt the urgent need to form ourselves and to have a separate organisation for ourselves, although we are members of various organistaions representing journalists in Sri Lanka . As a result journalists from all three ethnic groups Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim gathered in Bentota and formed an association named “Sri Lanka Women’s Journalist Network”. We have quite a vibrant number of working women journalist as members.

The members of Sri Lanka Women’s Journalist Network gathered again under one roof to discuss about “Talking Gender” in May 2008. There were three new Co-Conveners elected by the members. During a two days Summit on Gender Equity in Media, we actively discussed the issues faced by the working women journalists in the respective offices and on the field, and drawn an action plan. We identified the following five issues and prioritised them.

They are:

1.Lack of women’s participation in media organistaion and unions.

Goal is to increase quantity and quality of participation in media organisations and unions.

2.Lack of training and awareness, including gender awareness among women journalists.

Goal is to provide leadership training and capacity building for women journalists.

3.Stereotyped media coverage on gender issues.

Goal is to improve media coverage on gender issues.

4.Job security for women journalists.

Goal is to enhance job security for women journalists.

5.Sexual harassment

Goal is to create a sexual harassment free work place

Women constitute 52% of the world’s population, yet make up only 21% of people featured in the news according to the Global Media Monitoring Project(GMMP) survey in 2005. It furthers states that, women are least likely to be found in ”hard” news stories about politics and government (14%) and economy (20%), women are more likely to be found in “soft” stories such as celebrity and arts (28%). And, only 3% of stories challenge stereotypes and 96% of news stories worldwide do not highlight issues of gender equality or inequality.

I like to site an example of a female columnist, who writes for a Tamil Weekly. She writes on current politics. When it was found out that, the particular columnist is a female the fellow Tamil male journalists refused to accept the fact that, she is capable of writing current political development Sri Lanka similar to what her fellow male colleagues are able to write.

According to Global Media Monitoring Project(GMMP) survey in 2005, which was published on www.whomakesthenews.org men dominate as spokespersons and experts. Men make upto 86% of spokespersons and 83% of all experts, and women more than twice (19%) as likely to be portrayed as victims than men (8%). We as members of the Sri Lanka Women Journalist’s Network felt that, we as women journalists have a bigger role to play with regard to portrayal of women in the media. Therefore we have decided to issue statement, whenever we read, listen or watch stories related to women which are portrayed in an unacceptable stereotyped manner.

The Charter of Gender Equality for Media and Journalism in Sri Lanka, which was drafted in 2006 says that, there should 1/3 of female representation in the unions for journalist, but it’s rare to witness. As we have noticed in the media that very rarely women are quoted spokesperson. And as a result of this we are in the process of publishing a sourcebook with women spokespersons.

I like to quote Sonali Samarasinghe, Editor of The Morning Leader, who made a presentation at the Summit on Gender Equity in Media in May 2008, on “Good journalism doesn’t have genitals”.

“For giving voice to minority concerns, I receive hate mail addressed to Sonali “Letchumie” Samarasinghe. This is reflective of the deep hatred and intolerance of people for another point of view; the notion that a Sinhalese who gives a voice to all sides is s traitor to the race. So that is the media culture we are in today.

The second example I like to site is that, I had written series of articles which also exposed the government issuing diplomatic passport to Karuna. A government sponsored website then wrote articles that trashed me, my abilities, my achievements and undermined my journey as a professional woman. Even my underwear wasn’t spared”.

I like to leave you with this thought to think.

Thank you.

[Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai is Co-Convener of Sri Lanka Women’s Journalist Network]

Reporting on Human Rights in Sri Lanka, a two day summit was held in Colombo on July 5th and 6th 2008. The summit was organised by the International Federation of Journalist and Centre for Policy Alternatives, with the support of the European Union