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WOMEN'S LINKAGE CAUCUS

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J. Inequality in women's access to and participation in all communications systems, especially the media, and their insufficient mobilization to promote women's contribution to society.[delete: Mobilize the media to portray women's contribution to society.] [delete: responsibility of the media for the impact of their content on women.] [delete: Women and the media]

236. The continued projection of negative and degrading images of women in the media communications -electronic, print, visual and audio - must be changed. Print and electronic media in most countries do not provide a balanced picture of women's diverse lives and contributions to society in a changing world. In addition, violent and degrading or pornographic media products [retain: are also negatively affecting] [delete: can also negatively affect] women, and their participation in society. Programming that reinforces women's traditional roles can be equally limiting. The worldwide trend towards consumerism has created a climate in which advertisements and commercial messages often portray women primarily as consumers and target girls and women of all ages inappropriately.

[delete: Enhance the role of traditional and modern communications
media to promote awareness of equality between women and men effectively ]
Strategic objective J.1. Increase the participation and enhance the access of women to expression and decision making in and through the media and new technologies of communication

Actions to be taken

239. By Governments:

(a) Support women's education, training and employment to [amend & retain: ensure women's (delete: greater) equal access] [delete: promote women's equal] access to all areas and levels of the media;

(c) Promote women's [retain: full and] equal participation in the media, including management, programming, education, training and research;

(h) Guarantee the freedom of the media and its subsequent protection within the framework of national law [amend & retain: and encourage the (delete: positive) involvement by the media in development and social issues].

242. By nongovernmental organizations and media professional associations:

(b) [delete: Consider training] Train women to make greater use of information technology for communication and the media, including at the international level;

(d) Encourage the media industry and education and media training institution to develop, in appropriate languages, traditional, indigenous and other ethnic group forms of media such as story telling, drama, poetry and song, [retain: reflecting their cultures] [delete: reflecting their own cultural values] [delete: reflecting their moral, ethical and religious values], and utilise these forms of communication to disseminate information on development and social issues.

Strategic objective J.2. Promote a [amend & retain: (delete: positive) realistic] [retain: balanced and non-stereotyped] portrayal of women in the media

Actions to be taken

244. By mass media and advertising organizations:

(a) Develop [delete: appropriate regulatory mechanisms] [retain: professional guidelines and codes of conduct] and other forms of selfregulation to promote the presentation of non-stereotyped images of women;

(b) [amend & retain: Establish professional guidelines and codes of conduct that address(delete:es) violence, degrading or pornographic materials concerning women in the media, including (delete: the advertising) advertisement;]

245. By the media, NGO's and the private sector in collaboration, as appropriate, with national machinery for the advancement of women:

(b) Produce and/or disseminate media materials on women leaders, inter alia, [amend & retain: (delete: as caring mothers and nurturers of happy families) in all fields] managers and entrepreneurs to provide role models particularly to young women;

(d) [delete: Support the development of] [amend & retain: Support, develop and finance] alternative media and the use of all means of communications to disseminate information to and about women and their concerns.