IMS strategy on gender equality (2021-2023)
IMS has decided to put gender at the forefront of its media development work. Since 2012, IMS has increasingly dealt with the question of gender equality and, thus, gained substantial knowledge and experience on working with gender equality in the area of media development.
Media plays a crucial role in achieving gender equality as it can be a tool for cultural transformation, set the political agenda, create awareness of social injustices, break taboos and demand accountability from decision makers. There is no doubt our understanding of gender and gender equality must be a broad an inclusive one; stereotypes must be broken, non-binary individuals are to be made visible and efforts to include all voices – with special attention to the intersectionality of identities, as subjects as much as producers of media content – must be made.
The strategy presented in this document is the result of a year-long process of literature review and consultation with staff, partners, journalists and experts. A number of webinars for seminars and debates were organised, and several drafts were distributed and discussed. Consequently, this strategy constitutes a common construction of the larger IMS community.
Much of it describes what IMS is already doing, and staff and partners alike will recognise elements of the current gender approach. The new perspective added – that of intersectional feminism – is not a miraculous and single solution to the challenges of media development. We believe, however, that it will allow us – the people who are the soul of IMS – to further express our commitment to gender equality. This strategy seeks to awaken processes – personal as much as institutional. We are convinced the results will follow.
