ISLAMABAD: Participants in a consultation on gender equality and equity in media organisations on Thursday said it was unacceptable that even in the current era women continued to face all kinds of challenges in the workplace.

The stakeholders’ consultation brought together journalists and media professionals who shared their experiences, challenges and perspectives on gender equality in Pakistan’s media industry.

The consultation was organised by IRADA with the support of the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).

“The purpose of the session was to identify issues and challenges in ensuring gender equality in the media industry in Pakistan and collate suggestions and recommendations to enable a better work environment for women journalists,” said Muhammad Aftab Alam, Executive Director of IRADA.

Senior journalist Fauzia Shahid appreciated the efforts to bring attention to these conversations. “We must dismantle patriarchal structures in society in order for women to achieve leadership positions,” she said.

Fauzia Kulsoom Rana, head of the Women Journalist Association of Pakistan (WJAP), said there was still heavy resistance to women rising to top positions and that this must be acknowledged.

“Women’s plight in the workplace must be heard. They face unique challenges, such as difficult and expensive transportation compared to their male counterparts and should be allowed flexible working conditions to carry out their assignments with ease,” said Sehrish Qureshi, Joint Secretary of the National Press Club and spokesperson for the Women Journalist Caucus.

President PFUJ Afzal Butt, while highlighting steps being taken to make unions inclusive and gender-representative, said, “Affirmative actions are being taken to make journalistic institutions such as unions and press clubs more gender inclusive.”

While concluding the session, Kamalud din Tipu, Chairperson of the Commission for Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals, expressed solidarity with women journalists. “We need a feminine approach to understand and address issues of women journalists on a priority basis,” he added.

Participants highlighted that women journalists continued to face harassment in the workplace and were often denied meaningful professional opportunities. Many said they were not assigned certain beats, such as crime, and were frequently overlooked for roles that carry influence or visibility.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2025