Critical Discussions at the 7th Pacific Media Summit Highlights Challenges Faced by Women in Media.
Critical discussions at the 7th Pacific Media Summit in Niue brought together women journalists from Melanesia and Australia, highlighting pressing issues affecting their roles in the media industry. The summit served as a platform for attendees from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, and Australia to address gender-based violence and the barriers women face in journalism.
The pre-summit and plenary sessions emphasized the urgent need for women journalists to navigate and combat technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) while safeguarding freedom of expression. These discussions were particularly significant in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately impacted women and girls, limiting their economic opportunities and voices in decision-making processes.
Participants emphasised the need for a review of existing laws and policies that affect women in journalism. The discussions also highlighted the importance of engaging with regional women in media agencies, governments and development partners to create channels of communication that address issues relevant to women journalists.
Key recommendations included developing protocols for diversity within PINA, ensuring representation of women in regional leadership structures, and enhancing support systems within media organizations. The outcomes were submitted to the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) to inform the broader communiqué capturing the results of the summit.
The Women in Media workshop was conducted by FemLink Pacific and funded by The Asia Foundation (TAF) through the Power Up initiative.
