Building networks for Pacific women in media

Freedom of the media continues to be an ideal that is far from the reality of the Pacific experience.

Women from Pacific mainstream, civil society, academia, community and advocacy media from 13 Pacific nations including Australia and New Zealand attended the ‘Media Freedom@Work’ meeting which supports safety, excellence and leadership networks for Pacific Women in media to foster media which is free from influence.

The meeting was held at the School of Journalism and Communications, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia as part of the lead-in events to the global commemoration of the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) in 2010, which was hosted for the first time in the Pacific.

The historic inaugural meeting reaffirmed the need for and endorsed the Pacific WAVE (Women Advancing a Vision of Empowerment) Media Network, which builds a strong collective voice for Pacific women in media, building a better and stronger future for all by promoting professional excellence and leadership and gender advocacy.

Director of the WCCC ‘Ofakilevuka Guttenbeil-Likiliki presented at the meeting and urged all parties in the media to work together to promote positive social change. “Pacific media organizations and practitioners should work together to uphold commitments to, and practice of ethics in journalism. This goes hand in hand with a respect for the rights and dignity of all women– so the images of women in media and society reflect the need to end all discrimination in social, economic, political and cultural life” said Guttenbeil-Likiliki.

The full outcomes document of the meeting are available here.