This time, the training with current affairs and political journalists on the main topic related to the role of the media in reporting with a gender perspective took place in the city of Korca.
With the aim of increasing capacities in the field of gender equality, with a special focus on gender reporting especially during the elections, the journalists present were informed about it by the legal expert Mrs. Alma Lahe with EU legislation and international standards that protect the rights of women in politics, as well as the current situation in Albania compared to other countries regarding the gap that exists as a result of discrimination and a different perception of the position of women compared to that of men in terms of participation and representation.
The discussion at this stage of the training brought to attention that the reflection on the identification of sexist problems and on the drafting of legislation based on the approach of gender equality, where the needs and opportunities of each gender are put in the foreground, is a positive aspect in the process of integration of gender perspective. However, the participants emphasized that gender-focused integration is essential and a precursor to gender equality.
On the other hand, the media and communication expert Mrs. Valbona Sulce first focused on the need to harmonize national legislation with EU law regarding sexism in the media, providing examples of sexist and bullying language directed at women and girls in politics. The revised legislation is in function of the addressing any element of gender based discrimination.
Continuous disinformation in the media, as one of the main phenomena often encountered that gives voice to violence against women in politics, and also distinguishing the elements that separate it from sporadic and unintentional misinformation, was also a topic that aroused interest and interactive discussions. The discussion on recent events in Albania highlighted the lack of gender sensitivity and offensive optics towards the female gender. Not including the gender perspective element risks allowing disinformation and in some form even justification of the violator.
Often, the intense need and demand of the media to produce news that causes the most impact on the audience, with the aim of earning more revenue from clicks, negatively affects the media to err and fall prey to promoting disinformation, misinformation or giving voice to abuse of the image of girls and women.
Therefore, the journalists present emphasized that trainings based on these topics are very necessary, as such have not been possible before in Korca. The concepts and practices enabled prompted their reflection on the role of the media in empowering and promoting positive images of girls and women in decision-making roles and active participating in the social and political fields. On the other hand, the integration of new perspectives and the careful use of the "magnifying glass of gender perspective-based journalism" in their work is considered essential for professional reporting.
