KARACHI: Uks Research Centre has launched a project to gauge the impact of the media on public perceptions of women before and after the February 8 general elections in the country.

According to a press release, the project — Gender and Media Watch: Election 2024 — aligns with the urgent need to address gender disparities that were highlighted by the Global Gender Gap Index 2021.

In the past Uks, a leader in monitoring media content for 26 years, has observed the electoral processes in the country, notably in 2013 and 2018.

“Pakistan ranks as the third-worst country for gender equality among 156 countries, making Uks’ project crucial in contributing to the ongoing discourse on gender inequalities in the February 2024 general elections,” it added.

It said media bodies, including the All-Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), and the Association of Electronic Media Editors and New Directors (AEMEND), endorse and support the initiative.

The collaborative effort is dedicated to scrutinising media content during Election 2024 through a gender-sensitive lens.

The initiative is part of Uks’ broader commitment to advancing gender equality. Notable among its programmes are “Hopscotch,” a platform that monitors the portrayal of genders in entertainment media, the monthly Gender Media Watch, and Gynae Feminism.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2024