The Arab Women Organisation, AWO, stressed that media outlets can make real changes in society, as well as achieve social change and promote modern ideas to face the cultures of intolerance, terrorism and sectarianism that are embodied in the destructive behaviour in Arab societies at different levels.
Ambassador Mervat Al Talawi Director-General of the AWO, made these remarks during her speech to celebrate the second Arab Media Day, under the slogan, "The Role of Radio Broadcasting in the Service of the Community".
Al Talawi highlighted that the organisation has held several forums in co-operation with the media and communication sector in the League of Arab States, to discuss the media’s role in supporting the struggle of Arab women to build society and protect national security. This topic was a major item on the agenda of many of its conferences, the most recent being, "Issues of Female Refugees and Displaced Persons in the Arab Region: Reality and the Future" and "The Role of Women in Arab Countries and the Paths of Reform and Change".
She added that the organisation was the first to formulate the "Media Strategy for Arab Women 2009-2015", which was developed under the UAE’s patronage. The organisation also adopted training courses for female Arab journalists, to train them on how to integrate a gender perspective in their work. The organisation recently held a training course on national security and media, in partnership with the Nasser Military Academy.
Al Talawi stressed that radio will continue to be one of the most effective means of communication because it is the most accessible to all segments of society, gathering the upper and middle-classes who always listen to the radio in their cars, as well as people in rural and deprived areas with no easy access to the Internet.
She highlighted the necessity and inevitability of activating media codes of honour and various media regulators to monitor negative media practices. She also stressed the importance of monitoring media content, which still often negatively presents women or allows hostile or sarcastic speech about women and their social role. She also referred to some media messages that support fanaticism and extremism, or encourage division and destroy social solidarity.

Source: WAM