THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Stressing that media organisations must ensure gender justice and equality, Health and Woman Development Minister Veena George said that women journalists, who advocate for justice for others, must not overlook the injustices they face within their institutions.
She was speaking at the inauguration of the National Women Journalists’ Conclave, organised by the Information and Public Relations Department in collaboration with the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) at Mascot Hotel on Wednesday.
“Despite an increase in women’s representation, female journalists continue to face numerous challenges within media institutions and in society. Therefore, gender equality and justice in the media sector must be discussed seriously.
This conclave, attended by renowned women journalists from across the country, is expected to facilitate such discussions. The number of women in media, especially in visual and audio-visual platforms, has increased. But, their presence in decision-making roles remains inadequate,” said the minister.
She added that media professionals, who bring societal injustices to light, should not find themselves helpless in their workplaces and that it is essential to check how many media institutions have internal committees mandated by law. She pointed out that only 10 media institutions, including two mainstream ones, have completed the registration so far.
“By March 2025, all media institutions must establish internal committees as per the PoSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) Act and register them on their websites,” said the minister.
Journalist Maya Sharma emphasised that media institutions should adopt women-friendly policies and ensure gender equality in workplaces. She said that society still has discrimination in job opportunities and that needs to change. Opportunities should be provided based on merit, she added.
Journalist Rana Ayyub noted that sidelining journalists with a specific label is an anti-democratic approach.
“The media industry often fails to acknowledge the talents of highly capable professionals. Women are subjected to intense criticism on social media without being considered equals. The recommendations of Kerala’s Hema Committee are commendable and should be followed by other states as well. In a progressive state like Kerala, more women should step forward in all fields, including the chief ministerial position,” said Rana Ayyub.
The event also featured a documentary on M Haleema Beevi, state’s first woman journalist, produced by the Information and Public Relations Department.