Workshop held on advancing diversity, equality and inclusion in media

A practical guideline is needed to ensure equal rights, opportunities, participation, and representation for persons with disabilities and all gender diverse people in the media and in news coverage based on fairness. This guideline will provide media professionals with various directions. As the initial step toward developing this guideline, a day-long workshop was held at the YWCA Auditorium, Mohammadpur where participants discussed practical aspects on advancing diversity, equality and inclusion in media: policy and editorial practices.

 

The workshop was organized by the rights-based research organization VOICE.

 

Editors, reporters, newsroom staff, representatives from human resources departments, and members of journalist associations participated in the workshop. Participants received training on disability, gender-diverse communities, barriers to their participation in the media, and ways to overcome those challenges.

 

Additionally, discussions were held on the importance and necessity of establishing a comprehensive policy on advancing diversity, equality and inclusion in media.

 

Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, Executive Director of VOICE, said, “Most news organizations still do not have clear policies regarding disability and gender diversity. As a result, diversity and inclusion are not adequately reflected in news presentation, recruitment, workplace environment, and decision-making processes.”

 

He further stated, “The final policy will be developed based on the opinions and experiences shared by the workshop participants, and it will serve as a practical and supportive document for media professionals.”

 

Priyata Tripura, Program Officer of VOICE, discussed the inclusion of persons with disabilities and gender-diverse people in the media. She said, “The media is the mirror of society. What is reflected here influences society. Therefore, portraying positive stories of persons with disabilities and gender-diverse individuals in the media will help eliminate widespread misconceptions.”

 

Participants emphasized that no development is truly possible without inclusion. Ensuring the inclusion of persons with disabilities and gender-diverse people in the media would help remove prevailing negative perceptions in society and play a role in reducing discrimination.

 

During the workshop, participants discussed what should be included in the media policy on gender diversity and disability.

 

They also highlighted the need for fair representation of persons with disabilities and people of all gender identities in news, accessible news platforms, inclusive policies in recruitment, human resources and workplace environments, clear guidance on appropriate language use, the expansion of investigative and analytical reporting, digital safety, grievance redress mechanisms, and human rights-based storytelling frameworks.

 

Gender specialist, Sanaiyya Fahim Ansari and Development consultant, Sayema Chowdhury facilitated the workshop. With the support of UNESCO, VOICE is implementing the project “Enhancing Media Diversity through Gender and Disability Inclusion in Bangladesh.”

 

The objective of this project is to develop a policy on advancing diversity, equality and inclusion in media, which will provide direction for media professionals.

 

Representatives from DBC News, IP News, The Daily Observer, Channel I, The Post, Dhaka Tribune, The Business Standard, Financial Express, The Daily Sky, Banglavision, Dhaka Post and Daily Sangbad proactively participated in the workshop.