The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Gender Council have called on all media organisations and trade unions to make gender equality a priority in their response to the Covid-19 pandemic and demand concrete steps to provide their female colleagues with decent working conditions.

Development Diaries gathered that this call was made after the IFJ conducted a survey on the effects of Covid-19 on women journalists.

The Gender Council Chair at IFJ, Maria Angeles Samperio, said, ‘Media and unions must do much more to tackle gender inequalities and take into account the conciliation of work and private life in these turbulent times.

‘They must hear the calls from women who have been deeply affected by stress during Covid-19 and respond to it. It is time to set up proper teleworking policies, ensure support is provided to women as family careers, and provide decent work and equal pay’.

IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, said,  ‘We call on our affiliates to put gender equality at the top of their agenda and reflect on how best they can support their female affiliates. Such support includes providing data on women in the profession, mainstreaming gender in all activities, offering training, putting women in leading roles in unions’ own structures, setting up women committees and gender policies, and negotiating better deals for women with media managers. It is urgent to change the narrative for a strong gender new normal’.

Source: IFJ

Photo source: UN Women Asia and the Pacific