Collecting, connecting, collaborating
"Permit me to put on record the value that GMDC [Gender and Media Diversity Centre] has added to our programme offerings [in the Department of Media Studies] as well as its positive impact on staff and students alike. The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between our two institutions in 2010 has taken the relationship to a newer and better level and we look forward to working hand in hand with GL to make for, as well as bequeath a better world to the coming generation" - Professor Eno Akpabio, former head of media studies at the University of Botswana.
The GMDC is a physical and virtual resource centre that aims to create and disseminate knowledge on gender, media and diversity. The centre collects information, connects people with relevant information and promotes collaborative projects between partners who consist of media development NGOs, knowledge and training institutions. The centre is managed by Gender Links (GL) working with an advisory group drawn from the membership. Only members who have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the GMDC are eligible to sit on the advisory group. The centre is run by an advisory group that meets twice a year. The Centre publishes two journals in a year and a monthly electronic newsletter aimed at keeping partners informed of its work.
The Centre aims to create a diverse, responsive media and critical citizenry that is able to hold the media accountable. The GMDC does this through three strategies: knowledge creation and dissemination; investing in future media producers and through public debates on issues of gender, media and diversity issues.
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The GMDC creates and disseminates knowledge through the:
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Investing in the future: Working with institutions of higher learning the GMDC coordinates a region wide internship programme for young people as part of their formal training. |
| Critical citizenry: The GMDC holds regular seminars on gender, media and diversity. Seminar topics have included gender and transformative leadership; gender and Soccer 2010; gender media freedom and access to information. |
Latest News and Opportunities
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World Press Freedom Day The GMDC will join the world to celebrate the world press freedom day on 3 May 2012. The theme this year is new voices: media freedom helping to transform societies. The centre will convene a seminar as part of the commemoration. It will also launch the Gender and Media Diversity Journal issue 10 titled "Gender Media Freedom and Access to Information" |
Decriminalisation of Freedom of Expression in Africa
The Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, Commissioner Pansy Tlakula, in partnership with the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, South Africa and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), will from 4-6 May 2012 hold a Consultative Meeting on the Decriminalisation of Freedom of Expression in Africa. The event will be held Tunis, Tunisia. Read more |
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Earn and learn with Gender Links |
Women Make the News campaign The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) encourages its networks, members and partners from civil society groups, associations of media practitioners and media organizations to participate in UNESCO's Women make the news campaign to mark International Women's Day on 8 March 2012. International Women's Day campaigns step up demands for the respect of women's basic civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. WACC advocates communication rights as a basic human right that requires spaces and resources in the public sphere for everyone to engage in transparent, informed and democratic debate. Read more |
The GMDC advisory group includes:
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INSTITUTIONS |
| National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Zimbabwe |
| Polytechnic of Namibia |
| International Media Women's Foundation |
| Zambia Institute of Mass Communication |
| University of Antananarivo, Madagascar |
| University of Botswana |
| University of Antananarivo |
| University of Limpopo, South Africa |
| Malawi institute of Journalism |
| African Women and Child Feature Service (AWC), Kenya |
| International Women's Media Federation |
| INDIVIDUALS |
| Ammu Joseph, author and member of the Network of Women in Media, India |
| Margaret Gallagher, gender and media expert |
| Maria Edstrom, academic, University of Gothunburg |
| Patricia Made, independent gender and media consultant |
| Pinkie Mekgwe, University of Johannesburg |
