4 Dhaka journos get Democracy International Awards for gender sensitive political reporting

Democracy International awarded five journalists in print, online and television for the best gender-sensitive political reporting.

The awardees are Kamrun Nahar Sumy (New Age), Farhana Taher Tithi (Daily Newspaper), Ismail Hossain Russel (Jagonews24.com), Abdul Halim Aditya Rimon (Dhakapost.com) and Atoar Hossain (Nagorik TV), according to a press release.

They were part of a group of 23 journalists who received training on gender sensitive political reporting, organised by Democracy International under USAID's Strengthening Political Landscape in Bangladesh project.

The workshops aimed to raise awareness among media professionals about the importance of women's participation and representation in politics, and how to avoid negative stereotypes and biases in their coverage.

The workshop also featured sessions by politicians from the three main parties and experts on related topics.

The winners were awarded based on the quality and impact of their reports, which were published or broadcasted between November 2023 and February 2024. They received their awards and certificates from Dana L. Olds, the Chief of Party of Democracy International's SPL project, at a ceremony in a hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday.

Organised in two batches, the training sensitized journalists on the importance of women's representation in politics and ways to counter the impact of negative portrayal of women in the media. Politicians from the three main parties of Bangladesh and subject matter experts conducted the training covering gender discrimination in women's political participation, representation of women political leaders in media, use of gender sensitive language, legal framework of women's political empowerment and other topics in detail.

The final training session, held at a capital hotel, culminated in the presentation of awards and certificates by Dana L., Chief of Party of Democracy International's SPL Project. In her remarks, she emphasized the power of the media as the Fourth Estate to frame political issues and shape perceptions through fair portrayals of women in the media.

Deputy Chief of Party (Programmes) Aminul Ehsan, Deputy Chief of Party Lesley Richards, Senior Director Lipika Biswas, and Senior Programme Specialist Rita Das were also present at the ceremony.

Democracy International congratulates the awardees for their dedication to promoting gender-sensitive political reporting and looks forward to their continued contributions to fostering democracy and inclusivity through journalism in Bangladesh.