April 2, 2024
“Focus on the work and don’t focus on how people see you. You can do good work.” Maryam, a female journalist from Pakistan’s Balochistan province, advises. She knows from experience how societal norms can prevent women from participating in a profession. In Balochistan and its neighboring province Khyber Puktoon Kha (KPK), religious restrictions, cultural stigma, and security issues (in the last 20 years, women have been attacked because they are journalists) have made working as a female journalist nearly impossible. Because these provinces are tribal, gender norms dictate that women should not be seen in public, and certainly not on camera.
Working with local partners, Search for Common Ground is challenging gender norms to make media more inclusive in Pakistan. In its Next Generation of Independent Media in Pakistan project, Search partnered with local universities in Balochistan and KPK, and local civil society organizations such as Freedom Network to train both female and male journalists on journalistic best practices, how to report on peace and conflict, conflict reporting through a lens of multipartiality, security training, and the Common Ground Approach. Nearly 60 journalists, half men and half women, participated in this project.
Unlike her university training, which was only theoretical and historical, Maryam received hands-on training on how to develop contacts, arrange, conduct, and record interviews, write scripts, use video cameras and microphones, handle breaking news, write desk reports, verify news topics on social media, identify fake news and disinformation, and cover different journalism beats such as politics, conflict, and investigative reporting. “Doing practical work helps us remember [theory] for a lifetime,” Maryam explained. Participants were also able to keep equipment such as phones, tripods, and microphones, essential to their field work.
During the practical training, all the program participants gathered in Islamabad to share their experiences, meet influential media officials and journalists, and learn about media ethics. Participants visited the Ministry of Information, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the Ministry of Women Development, and GEO News, the most prominent media house. Five women were offered jobs during those visits.
Because cultural barriers barring women from journalistic pursuit are still high, having support from this network is essential. Maryam still reaches out to fellow participants, trainers, and teachers for help and guidance although the initiative ended over a year ago. “Girls were treated really well in the [Next Generation of Independent Media in Pakistan] program,” Maryam said. “The program taught us to keep our culture, don’t expose yourself. Have confidence, but respect culture. Focus on the story.” These lessons gave her strength when she had her first interview at a newspaper because “girls are not supported to do field work or be in public.” After completing the Next Generation of Independent Media in Pakistan program, Maryam received a job on a national news channel in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s press clubs became vital stakeholders in challenging gender norms throughout the initiative. Before Search engaged in this initiative, only two out of hundreds of members across 15 press clubs were women. Most press clubs did not have separate bathrooms or seating areas for female journalists. Press clubs have their own rules, and most do not allow women to become members.
Search held gender training sessions for male members of the press clubs, addressing why the clubs limited female participation, press club rules, and how to responsibly engage female students for internships associated with the press clubs. A turning point came when four press clubs gave female interns journalism assignments. Senior journalists went out into the field with female interns to mentor them. By the end of the training sessions, five press clubs promised to change their bylaws and ten press clubs committed to giving membership to women.
Like peace, change takes time, often moving at the speed of trust. Search for Common Ground encourages the kind of collaboration that seeds trust until breakthroughs occur. In the tribal areas of Pakistan, trust and collaboration result in female journalists covering the stories that people care about so we are better informed to make responsible choices benefiting our families, friends, and communities.
