Exploring influence and interconnection of media, communications, and culture on achieving gender equality

Communicating Gender Equality

Summary

This initiative builds on UNDP's many years of work in the areas of democratic governance and gender equality. It is exploring influence and interconnection of media, communications, and culture on achieving gender equality. The special emphasis is put on gender mainstreaming of public communications, as well as innovative campaigns promoting women’s achievements in various areas. It involves different stakeholders including media, public administration, academia, NGOs, private sector and prominent journalists and communication experts. 

By contributing to the inclusion of the gender perspective in the daily work of relevant institutions/media, this action will further contribute to the development of public discourse based on the promotion of women's human rights and gender equality.  

All of the above will have a catalytic effect on the creation of a stimulating environment for the implementation of anti-discrimination policies and the strengthening of gender equality, two processes that are at the core of the Sustainable Development Agenda until 2030 and EU integration. 

Background

Women in Montenegro make half of population, but society has not yet seen a fully accomplished overall development contribution of women, particularly not to the extent corresponding to their real potential. They still represent a minority in social, economic, and political life. 

Gender, culture, and rights intersect in intricate and complex ways. The culture and tradition define society’s collective identity, including the typical gender roles and behaviors. It further profoundly shapes the media and communication discourses; consequently, the traditional and social media play a crucial role in shaping gender roles within societies.  

While inequalities and gender stereotypes exist in social structures and the minds of people, communication and media in different formats have the potential to propagate and perpetuate or to ameliorate these. Furthermore, the conscious or unconscious biases that majority of citizens, both men and women, sometimes have towards one-sidedly reductionist masculinist perspectives is partially due to the lack of capacity understand issues with regards to women’s rights and gender equality more broadly. 

Gender is a cultural and social construct, defined by the power relations between women and men, and the norms and values regarding ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ roles and behavior in a society.

Major Achievements

Publications:

  • Analysis of media legal regulation from a gender perspective
  • Gender responsible communication in public administration
  • Proposals for a strategic framework for gender-responsive communication
  • Media monitoring through gender lenses
  • Study on gender aspects of cultural and media contexts
  • Monography “Women of Montenegro”
  • Toolkit for gender responsive communications in PA
  • Toolkit for gender responsive communications in media

Gender responsive communications: 

  • Gender Mainstreamed Ethics code of Public Broadcaster (RTCG) 

  • The accredited program "Communicating with the public in the public sector 

  • Developed three training modules for trainers for gender-responsive communication 

  • Developed training manual for gender responsible communication

 

Project Outcome

Gender Equality Profile 

  • 4 research on media, public administration and communication, cultural contents;

  • 2 toolkits for gender responsive communications in PA and media;

  • Gender mainstreamed Ethics code of Public Broadcaster (RTCG);

  • Developed inputs for National Communication Strategy;

  • 14 events (trainings, thematic forums, consultative dialogues).

 

 

Major Achievements

Gender mainstreaming results: 

Developed online course on gender equality (10 lessons)

Strengthened capacities of: 

  • Department for Gender Equality, Ministry of Human and Minority Rights 

  • Public Broadcaster RTCG 

  • Public administration

Campaigns: 

Impact

START DATE

February 2021

END DATE

December 2022

STATUS

Completed

PROJECT OFFICE

Montenegro

IMPLEMENTING PARTNER

United Nations Development Programme

DONORS

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS

$282,657

DELIVERY IN PREVIOUS YEARS

2020$0

2021$139,837

2022$128,929

Full Project information

118

professionals improved their capacities (journalists, communication and media experts, public administration official

200

people participated in the themed events "One too many!" and "This is our fight"

400

copies f the Monograph "Women of Montenegro" distributed

40,000

households reached through transmission of G SPOT podcast on RTCG and EXTRA TV

500

people visited the exhibition "Sing Maro, Sing My Precious"