WUNRN
CHINA - MEDIA MONITOR FOR WOMEN NETWORK
Media Monitor for Women Network is a China
NGO based in Beijing.
Origin:
In September 1995, the Fourth World Conference on Women was held in Beijing. Beijing Platform for Action adopted at the conference lists “Women and Media” as one of the 12 critical areas of concern and puts forward “Encourage the establishment of media watch groups that can monitor the media and consult with the media to ensure that women's needs and concerns are properly reflected.” In March 1996, a group of women journalists and researchers sponsored to set up Media Monitor for Women Network. It is the first action-oriented folk group focused on media and gender in Mainland China. Being a subordinate body to the Capital Women Journalists’ Association, it operates quite independently.
Aim:
Media Monitor for Women Network aims to promote gender equality in media and women’s communication rights. It adheres to rectifying the discriminating and disparaging attitude towards women as well gender stereotypes, so as to increase the visibility of women and gender issues in media and communication, to enable more women to access to media and communication to express their thoughts and ideas and to improve female journalists’ status in media and communication agencies.
Tactics:
The working tactics of Media Monitor for Women Network mainly include research, training, advocacy, writing, media liaison, production of alternative media and resource development.
Research: focusing on monitoring mass media’s reports on women/gender issues;
Training: conducting training in gender for
journalists;
Advocacy: organizing public activities, issuing
monitoring reports or advertising outstanding journalists and agencies;
Writing: criticizing from gender perspective on
media reports and trends of media industry;
Media liaison: planning and organizing
journalists to report actions of women NGOs;
Alternative media production: issuing
e-publications of original comments on current events;
Resource development: compiling domestic and
oversees information related to actions for media advocacy.
Members:
All leaders and key members of Media Monitor for Women Network are female with background of working in media or doing media research. Apart from their expertise in media and gender area, they are widely involved in other non-governmental actions related to women’s rights and gender equality. They have played important roles in many NGOs and have wide connection with journalism communication circles as well as journalists.
History:
In 1990s, Media Monitor for Women Network and its members conducted monitoring and criticism on mass media’s reports on women/gender issues and sponsored many times of actions for advocacy.
From 2000 to 2006, Media Monitor for Women
Network carried out an awareness raising project to combat domestic violence
through mass media. It involved in the early actions in Mainland China to
promote the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women,
established journalists network for reporting domestic violence, organized
several workshops and training sessions for journalists, assisted in developing
public service advertisement of combating domestic violence, and worked out the
first code of reporting on gender issues in Mainland China. Combating domestic
violence and combating violence against women has been one of its most
concerned issues.
In 2003, Media Monitor for Women Network
sponsored to set up the writing team of “Media
Watch” and supported the production of the first
daily column of gender critics in Mainland China.
In 2007, Media Monitor for Women Network
organized the activity of “Experts
Recommendation of Media Promoting Gender Equality,” which is the first public activity to promote mass media’s concern on media that focuses on gender issues in the form of
recognition event. In the same year, it accomplished a series of research
projects, including research on female television programs, research on the
images of men and women in television advertisements, analysis of mass media’s reports on violence against women and gender analysis on
communication policy.
Media Monitor for Women Network has actively
participated in worldwide studies and responded to global issues. In 2000, 2005
and 2010, it took charge of the coordinating of GMMP’s China region. During Beijing + 5 and Beijing +10, it initiated
relevant publicities in 2000 and 2005 respectively. Its periodical comment on
China’ progress in the area of “Media and Gender” of
Beijing Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women was
included in the Chinese NGOs’ appraisal
report.
In 2009, Media Monitor for Women Network
initiated the feminist e-paper Women’s Voice,
which comments and analyzes current events related to women’s rights and gender equality, follows up and responds to the mass media’ reports on women/gender issues, reports women NGOs’ actions, introduces translations of information on international women’s movement. This e-paper is especially well-known for its rich
information, special and critical gender perspectives. Media Monitor for Women
Network has also made use of the brand of Women’s Voice to
develop cell phone message and dissemination of daily information from social
media.
At present, the products of Media Monitor for
Women Network include: website of Women’s Voice,
website of Gender and Development (contractor), Women’s Voice e-paper, cell phone newspaper and micro-blogs.
Partners:
Organizations provided financial support: Ford Foundation, UNFEM China Office, Oxfam Hong Kong and so on.
International organizations with project
cooperation: The World Association for Christian Communication（WACC）, IPS Asia.
Domestic organizations with project
cooperation: China Women’s News,
Chinese Women’s Research Society, Anti-Domestic Violence
Network of China Law Society (ADVN) and Gender and Development Network (GAD).
Media Monitor for Women Network is a member of
Anti-Domestic Violence Network and Gender and Development Network respectively.
It was elected as one of the members of GAD’s
Coordinate Group.
Media Monitor for Women Network keeps extensive
good relationship with women NGOs, gender research agencies as well as relevant
actors and researchers.
Brand:
Women’s Voice is the brand that Media Monitor for Women Network began to use in 2009, meaning “gender watch and women’s voice.”
Executing body:
Beijing Gender Culture Communication Center,
registered with Beijing industrial and commercial bureau, which is the
executing body of Media Monitor for Women Network’s project
and contract.