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Thursday March 28, 2024

Women’s network sees change in South Asia

Swan says media plays crucial role in process of transformation

By Mariana Baabar
October 19, 2015
ISLAMABAD: The South Asia Women’s Network (Swan) believes that South Asia is poised for change: the direction of which we can determine.
“The media has an important and significant role to play in this process of transformation. The media not only records change, but is in a position to be an arbiter, a facilitator, a key site and at times even prophetic of change. We want the women of South Asia, with special focus on the women in media, to be active participants and moulders of this change,” says Professor Veena Sikri, founder and head of Swan.
This network brings together women leaders, parliamentarians, academicians, experts, activists and media representatives from nine countries of South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
They focus on the environment; arts and literature; women in peacemaking; health, nutrition and food sovereignty; education; crafts and textiles; finance, livelihoods and entrepreneurship development; and women in media.
Hence, the Seventh Swan Annual Conference was held in the scenic Maldivian resort island of Aadaran Select Hudhuranfushi, where Dr Mariyan Shakeela, Chairperson Maldivian Network of Women Rights, together with women activists Fatimath Afiya, Sheeza Imdad did a brilliant job of helping the Network focus on “Empowering the Women of South Asia”, the theme for the conference.
Ecotourism for sustainable development and gender empowerment in South Asia was another session of great interest especially since it was held in a country which is gradually sinking because of climate change.
Swan’s past six annual conferences have revealed that the most consistent refrain has been that the crux of the problem lies in the firmly entrenched mindset towards women, a mindset that mitigates against respect, equality and empowerment for the women of South Asia. Essentially, the patriarchal system, as it has evolved, has brought in a mindset that ensures women’s subordinate role within family and society. As a result, women are exposed to violence in its worst forms, the girl-child has seriously reduced access to educational facilities and mothers to healthcare, including maternal healthcare.
Voices were raised for bringing women from behind the shadows with Lalitha Kumarangalam, Indian Chairperson National Commission for Women, stressing that “women should be trained about their rights as education and power is not enough”.
Veena Sikri reminded that “women are not at the table. Swan says that women’s participation should be the centre of negotiations. South Asia is worst in gender disparity”.
An interesting comment came from a Sri Lankan participant who revealed that the president has initiated a debate on awarding death penalty to a rapist. But there were disappointments too, specially when Azima Shukoor, former attorney general of Maldives, confessed that in case of a rape case involving someone close to her she would never advise reporting or following the incident. Fortunately, not a single participant agreed with her as it was shocking that someone of her stature would remain silent but this confession also left questions on the criminal justice system in the region.
‘Breaking Barriers, Claiming Spaces: Building a Gendered Media for the Women of South Asia’, came up in the session for the media and later some of the recommendations for the working group were:
Media training workshops, strengthening the Regional Network of Women Journalists, sharing knowledge and promoting gender sensitivity.
Suggested themes for training sessions included:
- Women and peace-building.
- Women and disaster risk reduction: Reporting on disasters, and mobilising women’s participation leadership in post-disaster planning, relief and reconstruction.
- Reporting in conflict zones and sexual violence in conflict areas.
- Reporting on forced migration.
- Reporting on forced disappearances.
- Using social media to connect women, particularly in high-risk areas.
- Sensitising journalists on laws friendly towards women.
- Educating women journalists about their legal rights.
Voices outside SWAN which strengthen the Network’s priorities on areas that the Media Working Group pointed out are those like Dr Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative at the UN.
She noted, “Security Council resolution 1325 recognised the role of gender equality and women’s leadership in international peace and security, that gender equality improves our humanitarian assistance, strengthens the protection efforts of our peacekeepers, contributes to the conclusion of peace talks and the sustainability of peace agreements, and accelerates economic recovery after conflict.”
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who is UN under-secretary-general and UN women executive director, also points to the same SC resolution.
She comments that as new roles for women emerge, important is the fact that Security Council resolution 1325 recognised the role of gender equality and women’s leadership in international peace and security, that gender equality improves our humanitarian assistance, strengthens the protection efforts of our peacekeepers, contributes to the conclusion of peace talks and the sustainability of peace agreements and accelerates economic recovery after conflict.
She narrates the example of the end of decade-long conflict in the Philippines between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
“In peace talks where more than a third of negotiators were women; far above the norm in official peace talks, which are typically either all-male affairs or include very few women,” she comments.