Miami (March 7, 2023) - As part of the commemoration of International Women's Day on March 8, the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) calls on the media to deepen efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in the newsrooms.
Martha Ramos, chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, created last October by the IAPA, said that while women's progress has been made in newsrooms and executive leadership positions, "efforts to promote diversity in the editorial, executive and managerial areas must continue to deepen."
"When we talk about women journalists, we must warn about the increasingly common attacks related to stereotypes and roles or the cyber harassment to which they are subjected," added Ramos, editorial director general of the Organización Editorial Mexicana (OEM).
IAPA President Michael Greenspon explained that as a follow-up to the IAPA's 2021 warning call, the organization created a new committee to confront the adverse conditions women face in their work, jeopardizing their dignity and right to total health and life.
Greenspon, Global Head of Licensing & Print Innovation for the New York Times, said: "Our goal is to maintain an ongoing forum for education and discussion to eliminate discrimination based on race, gender or age within newsrooms, and to promote a fair and equitable reporting agenda."
Ramos urged "newspaper companies to eliminate any type of gender differentiation in terms of benefits and rights, improve protocols against sexual harassment in the workplace and ensure an environment free of harassment."
She said it is urgent "to guarantee the safety of women journalists through self-protection guides and specialized training.
Check here to view documents on a gender perspective, inclusion, and diversity.
IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere; and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.
