"The press doesn't play its role in supporting the capabilities of women and encouraging them to have real participation in politics," said Moufida Belghith, organiser of a Tunis journalism workshop.
A training course for media professionals and civil society activists wrapped up on Thursday (December 16th) in Tunis as part of a programme to promote women's participation in public life.
"The main goals of this course are represented in developing the capabilities of male and female participants in women's rights; providing them with the basic concepts that make them more sensitive and concerned with these issues," said training co-ordinator and rights activist Moufida Belghith.
She added that the workshop focuses on enabling participants "to have the necessary gender analysis techniques to produce press content and audio-visual programmes that focus on the dissemination of the gender equality culture, and that play a role in supporting women's participation in public life."
The media was not playing its role as it should in enhancing and supporting women's participation in public affairs, participants concluded. They also said that there was a decline in women's rights in Tunisia in favour of the reactionary current.
"Female journalists themselves are not playing their role in advocating for the issues of concern to women and urging them to exercise their right to participation in public affairs. There is a stark shortage worldwide in women's participation, which is estimated at 18% as compared to 13% in Tunisia," Belghith added.
"The press also doesn't play its role in supporting the capabilities of women and encouraging them to have real participation in politics," she said.
The three-day symposium was a joint project by the Mohammed Ali Centre for Research, Studies and Training (CEMAREF) in Tunis and US-based media development organisation Internews. The course was specifically targeted at future male and female media professionals to develop their capabilities in women's rights. Participants believe the media can play an effective role in changing people's attitudes and the traditional look that limits women's roles.
"There are destructive currents that want to drag women in Tunisia backwards after they took major strides towards progress and made significant gains," Press Institute professor Fatma Azouz said.
Journalist Tawfik Ayechi also believes that "women in Tunisia are the victims of fabricated political propaganda, as their presence in public affairs is only superficial without any real value, instead of being an effective element that takes part in the decision-making process to put an end to their traditional stereotype images."
"Most of the press materials in Tunisia discriminate between the sexes because of this culture and ideology inside of us and this goes beyond Tunisia in some cases, to some other countries in the world, even in the West," said Saloua Charfi, a professor at the Institute of Journalism and News.
"Women pay dearly when they enter the world of politics because their situation is more sensitive in terms of the moral aspect; they are held accountable for everything they do; something that further aggravates gender discrimination. Women pay a lot to win their freedom," sociology professor Dorra Mahfoudh said.
She then added: "Experiment has shown that women's presence in public and political life is a must, even if it were superficial in a first stage. After that, through training, their role will be effective because women's participation is a necessary right. After all, not all men in politics are effective and play a pioneering role."
Speaking at the event, lawyer Monia El Abed noted political violence manifests itself through the government practices and the violence that targets women activists. She gave the example of the 2008 Redayef riots, and the ensuing violence that some women activists were exposed to, which went as far as depriving them of work. She also noted that the attacks included physical violence, attempted rapes, disgracing of people's honour, and media violence through the disfiguration of women activists' image.
"Therefore, women activists who freely engage in politics pay a dearer price then men, by focusing on the condition of women," she noted.
Through women's participation in politics and participation in parties, El Abed believes that "dealing with women's issues inside parties takes place in a marginalised way in the absence of a clear democratic process of women's participation in the important issues, and also in the absence of a clear vision of women's issues."
"Female journalists are required more than others to advocate for women's issues. Therefore, they must try to step up the press content on women and their rights," journalist Nabila Abid said.
© Magharebia.com 2010
