Gender-based reporting importance sought

PESHAWAR: Speakers at a training workshop for journalists on Thursday called for gender-based reporting and equal representation for women in all forms of media to reduce gender gap and end gender-based discrimination.

Khwendo Kor, a non-governmental organisation working for solution to issues faced by women, guiding and encouraging women to take practical steps for their and their families’ betterment, had organised the two-day training workshop.

Around 20 male and female reporters from print and electronic media participated in the training.

Gender and human rights expert Sajila Sohail Khan, being the trainer, discussed concepts about gender and described the gender, gender-based discrimination, particularly in media and news stories, difference between gender and sex, status of women representation in various fields of life in Pakistan and South Asia.

The first session was basic concepts on gender, where she said that people often mixed gender and sex, which were two different things. “Gender is societal where the society described the role of males and females while sex is biological description,” she added.

Sajila Khan said there was gender-based discrimination in all fields of life in South Asia in general and Pakistan in particular. She said Pakistan consistently ranked second lowest on the Global Gender Gap Index.