ISLAMABAD: A non-profit organisation Uks on Tuesday took part in the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) held across the country for gender representation in media.

GMMP is the world’s longest-running international research and advocacy initiative for gender equality in the news media.

It was the fourth time Uks coordinated Pakistan’s involvement in the project. This year’s edition, GMMP+30, was especially significant, as it marked 30 years since the first global monitoring exercise in 1995, which aligned with the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

Active in over 100 countries, the GMMP mobilises volunteers from civil society, academia and media to monitor and analyse how women and men were represented-or left out-in the news. It was a collective global effort to advocate for more inclusive, diverse and accountable media.

Uks monitored nine newspapers, six television news channels, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), six news websites and four Twitter/X handles.

The monitoring was carried out by 13 volunteers, including Uks staff, journalists and university students. Ahead of the activity, Uks held a practical training session introducing the GMMP methodology that ensured consistent, credible data collection.

Uks has been examining media through a gender lens since 1997, bringing nearly three decades of experience to the task. The whole work was totally voluntary, with no funding for carrying it out.

This year’s GMMP+30 expanded its scope beyond previous years. In addition to tracking gender representation, it explored how the news media covered gender-based violence, the voices of marginalised groups and issues around gender and technology - all critical concerns in today’s media landscape.

The insights gathered in Pakistan will feed into a global report alongside regional and national analyses from around the world. Key milestones for the GMMP+30 rollout include (September 10, 2025) presentation of initial highlights at the United Nations General Assembly, during UN Women’s 15th anniversary celebrations, and other key global platforms, (November 25, 2025) launch of the full global report, along with regional and national reports that reflect local media dynamics and gender trends.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2025