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Angola
May 26, 2010
At 23, Susana Mendes became the first female editor in chief of
(WOMENSENEWS)--Susana Mendes is the first woman to hold
the title of editor in chief at
She is in
charge of directing coverage of the country's $1.7 billion oil industry,
government corruption and injustices in the poorer neighborhoods of
"All
my colleagues agree that this is a public problem," said Mendes at Women's
eNews' office during a recent visit to
In 2008,
Mendes joined other female colleagues in
Through
the forum, Mendes and other members in 2009 created a series of radio programs
to promote a bill drafted by
Genoveva
da Conceicao Lino, minister of family and women, and female politicians from
across the political spectrum are joining forces behind the bill, said Mendes.
"Even
if we are not together on political issues, when it comes to women, we stand
together," she said.
Radio Outreach
Each radio
show airs on the controversial Radio Ecclesia, a Roman Catholic radio station
broadcasting 24 hours a day in
In
addition to being a lobby tool, the show is designed to help victims better
understand and respond to their own experiences.
"The
most important thing is that today the victims are more aware of their rights
and feel safer to report cases of abuse," said Mendes.
In
In 2009
the U.S. State Department of Human Rights reported that in
"There
are still many cases of sexual violation in which victims wait years for
justice, so we think it is urgent to discuss this issue," said the
soft-spoken Mendes.
Mendes,
born in Benguela in western
While she
was in high school in
Exposing
Brutality
At Agora
she initially covered social and cultural events but also managed to report on
the problems plaguing poor neighborhoods. She said she is particularly proud of
a story that helped lead to the conviction of seven policemen in Sambizanga,
one of the poorest neighborhoods of
Mendes
went on to work at A Capital, a private anti-corruption weekly founded by four
journalists including Americo Goncalves, a prominent journalist known to
provide credible news. In 2005, Mendes, 23, was recruited away from A Capital
by Goncalves to serve in her current role at the helm of Angolense.
Mendes and
her colleagues often do their jobs under dangerous circumstances.
In 2009
Freedom House, an independent watchdog group advocating for democracy and human
rights in
"Susana
is a very courageous journalist and one of the few women who has embraced the
fight for the freedom of press in the country, and that is quite
remarkable," said Angolan journalist and human rights activist Rafael
Marques de Morais, who has received international acclaim for his reports on
the Angolan government's corruption and the diamond and oil industry.
Mendes
said her decision to join the fight against domestic violence stemmed from
covering for Angolense tale after tale of physical and sexual abuse against
women, children and men of the
"It
made me see that the problem is so serious that it deserves a response from
society and that the journalists have a key role in combating this
problem," she said. "We want to show that all the problems that
affect women affect the whole society, because women in
________________________________________________________________________
UN News Centre - http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34792&Cr=gender&Cr1=
MEDIA MUST PLAY ROLE IN PUSHING FOR GENDER EQUALITY - UN
24 May 2010 – Deputy Secretary-General
Asha-Rose Migiro today appealed to the media to take on the cause of gender
equality, spotlighting it potential to overturn stereotypes of men and women.
“More is needed to make the media environment and
industry more inclusive and gender-sensitive,” she stressed in remarks
in Baku, Azerbaijan, to a conference of ministers from the Council of Europe
responsible for equality between men and women.
Every day around the world, mass media sways how people
view what it means to be masculine and feminine, “sadly, often resorting to
destructive gender stereotypes in the process,” Ms. Migiro said.
“Such stereotyping, in turn, feeds into the gender
discrimination which is a root cause of violence against women and girls,” she
added.
The Deputy Secretary-General called on mass media to put
an end to its one-dimensional gender portrayal and its negative depictions of
women’s role in society.
She also emphasized that laws, leadership and action by
the United Nations is not enough to promote gender equality.
Other essential ingredients, Ms. Migiro said, include
stepped-up monitoring, reporting and accountability; resources to jump-start
national development and poverty-reduction schemes; and the systematic
incorporation of the needs and concerns of women and girls into all policy
areas.
While in Azerbaijan, she also met with the country’s
First Lady and Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Mehriban Aliyeva, as well as with Hijran Huseynova of Azerbaijan’s Committee
for Family, Women and Children’s Affairs, and representatives of UN agencies
based in Baku.
The Deputy Secretary-General was also scheduled to hold
talks with President Ilham Aliyev this afternoon.
Earlier this month, Under-Secretary-General for
Communications and Public Information Kiyo Akasaka enlisted advertisers to join
efforts to eliminate violence against women, calling on the industry to help
defy destructive gender stereotypes.
With up to 70 per cent of women experiencing violence in
their lifetime, “this is not an abstract issue,” Mr. Akasaka stressed at a
gathering of advertising titans in Moscow. “For women and girls, this is a
struggle not to be assaulted, raped, molested or forced into the commercial sex
trade.”
He pointed to studies which have shown that negative
stereotyping, including the depiction of women as sex objects, exacerbates
gender discrimination. Women have often been portrayed in demeaning or damaging
ways on billboards, magazines, television and magazines, he noted.
________________________________________________________________________
UN News Centre -http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=822
"Free, independent media will always be a cornerstone of democracy, transparency, accountability, development and respect for human rights."
UN SECRETARY-GENERAL SPEECH TO ASIA MEDIA SUMMIT
25 May 2010
Thank you for organizing this conference. The United
Nations attaches great importance to the work of the media. You bring our
messages to the world public; you hold us – and all Governments and
institutions – accountable for our decisions and actions.
The media landscape in Asia is moving with lightning
speed. The region is experiencing a media explosion, both in traditional print
and broadcasting, and in digital media and the internet.
Some countries have seen a huge growth in diversity and
plurality, and the development of a vibrant media scene. Newspapers, magazines,
television and radio are branching out, tackling new subjects with new formats
in new ways.
China has the highest number of internet users of any
country in the world. India has the fastest-growing mobile phone market in the
world, with 20 million new subscribers every month. Japan continues to innovate
in new media technology.
For media professionals and media consumers, this is an
exciting time. Information and entertainment are available as never before. The
possibilities for forging new, interactive relationships with audiences are
almost limitless.
This media revolution is going to have a great impact on
societies – politically, socially and culturally.
It is impossible to predict its long-term effects. But we
can be sure of one thing.
Free, independent media will always be a cornerstone of
democracy, transparency, accountability, development and respect for human rights.
Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right,
enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The
United Nations works to uphold this right around the world.
But in many countries, including in this region,
journalists risk intimidation, detention and even their lives, simply for doing
their jobs.
Last year, UNESCO condemned the killing of 77
journalists. These were not high-profile war correspondents who lost their
lives in the heat of battle. Most of them worked for small, local publications
in peacetime. They were murdered for attempting to expose wrongdoing or
corruption. Many of these cases remain unsolved.
Intimidating and silencing the media is achieved in
various ways. Killing journalists is simply the most brutal.
In some countries, independent television and radio
channels are denied broadcasting rights. In others, the authorities impose high
taxes on newsprint so that only the wealthy are able to buy newspapers.
Elsewhere, the censors monitor internet use and imprison citizen journalists.
In every case, it is a denial of fundamental human
rights, and an obstacle to social and economic development.
The United Nations stands against the silencing of the
media and with those who work to keep the powerful accountable, in every
country.
Ladies and gentlemen,
You, more than others, know that working in the media can
be challenging and exciting, particularly at a time when technological
development and culture are moving so fast.
Every Government, every regulator, and every media
organization, must find its own path through complex issues.
You will be discussing some of these at this summit:
public trust in the media… self-regulation… journalistic ethics. You are on the
frontline of these public debates.
But whether you are a media owner or a reporter… an
editor or a camera operator… a web designer, a TV presenter, or a radio
engineer… I urge all of you here today to remember:
Freedom of expression is your right. It must be nurtured
and protected.
Free speech and media freedom are an inseparable part of
the United Nations’ mission for peace, human development and a better world.
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