Abu Dhabi, November 16th, 2023 – The Women Development Organization (WDO) held Wednesday a workshop titled “Empowering Female Voices: Strategies for Women's Representation in Media” during the Global Media Congress in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The workshop took place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on Wednesday, November 15th, 2023.
The workshop’s curriculum was built and delivered by the accomplished Dr. Amna Bulhoon, Assistant Professor in Communication at the College of Communication and Media Sciences, Zayed University, UAE. Dr. Bulhoon obtained her PhD from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and her MA degree from Indiana State University, USA. Moreover, Dr. Bulhoon served as a diplomat abroad in three different countries and worked in the Sports and Women's industry locally and internationally.
The training workshop saw participation from national and international news agencies from WDO and OIC Member States. This includes Egypt, Gambia, UAE, Malaysia, Senegal, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Sudan, and Iran, in addition to New Zealand, India, and South Africa.
The workshop was very beneficial for media professionals who attended the GMC, as it contained a variety of important topics, interesting discussions, and exciting activities. It highlighted the history of the media industry and the current practices, tackling topics like the gender disparity in the media and the challenges faced by women in media. The workshop also discussed statistical data and case studies and explored strategies for empowerment.
During the workshop, attendees got to share their experiences as well as their fears about the stereotypical image of women in media. Attendees also highlighted that breaking the bias should come through media literacy and education, which will ultimately lead to better representation of women in the media industry.
The second edition of the Global Media Congress took place between November 14 and 16, 2023, and it saw the participation of some of the world’s top industry leaders, specialists, and influencers, in addition to academics, youth, and university students.
The workshop is part of WDO’s plan of action, which includes holding training workshops on enhancing the role of Media Personnel in promoting gender equality and combatting violence against women (VAW).
