Message from the IAPA for International Women's Day

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Miami (March 7, 2024) - In the context of International Women's Day, commemorated this Friday, March 8, the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) reaffirmed its commitment to promoting inclusive newsrooms, protecting the safety of women journalists, and adopting an agenda sensitive to these needs.

Globally, there is still a significant gap in rights and opportunities between men and women. According to World Bank statistics, about 2.4 billion women of working age still face legal inequalities compared to men.

In the field of journalism, this disparity is evident in the persistence, in many cases, of wage gaps, limited presence in leadership roles, and a complex work environment exacerbated by the growing online harassment in retaliation for their work and physical risk resulting from an increasingly violent environment in our countries. In particular, the phenomenon of doxxing, involving the exposure of personal data, emerges as a highly dangerous threat to women journalists, according to a UNESCO report.

"We affirm our commitment to tirelessly work towards promoting an inclusive and safe journalistic environment for all women. An inclusive society is, from any perspective, a necessity, a condition for development," said IAPA President Roberto Rock, director of the Mexican news portal La Silla Rota.

Progress towards equal treatment for women has fallen to the lowest pace in the last 20 years, according to World Bank data.

This 2024 poses an additional challenge. More than half of the world's population will go to the polls, and in this context, the commitment to the gender agenda cannot rely solely on the goodwill of those running for elective positions; it must be a constant theme in journalistic coverage.

In countries like Mexico, where the election of the first female president is expected, professional and persistent journalistic monitoring is essential, with a focus on economic development that improves the quality of life for all citizens. Policies that empower women not only strengthen the economy but are also vital for achieving sustainable development.

"Gender equality cannot be an occasional topic in newsrooms; it must be a constant priority," said Martha Ramos, the president of the Gender and Diversity Equity Commission of the IAPA. "Increasing the presence of women in leadership positions within the media, as well as ensuring equitable working conditions, job security, and fair wages, is essential," added Ramos, who is the editorial director of the Organización Editorial Mexicana (OEM) and president of the organization Alianza de Medios MX.

In summary, the economic justification for gender equality in the workplace has never been so important. "It must be a constant theme in newsrooms, where more women are needed to focus the news agenda on a more inclusive, plural, and respectful perspective," Rock asserted. The IAPA president added that "this goal cannot solely mean increasing the number of women in the newsroom; there must be facilities to carry out their work, maternity leave, security considerations, and fair wages."

Finally, inclusion must also have a financial sense. OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) nations lose 15% of their income due to gender inequality. "We can no longer afford to waste the talent of women journalists," Martha Ramos emphasized.

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.

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