“Les Panafricaines” : The Edition of Action

Held on October 26^thand 27^th, 2018 in Casablanca, the second edition of the Forum of the women journalists of Africa aims to take actions. Indeed, this major event – initiated by 2M, carried by Radio 2M with support from the 2M Comité Parité et Diversité- has broadened out its network, not only in terms of geographical coverage or number of participants, but also in terms of methodological and thematic approach.

This year, the Forum brings together more than 200 influential women journalists from 54 countries in Africa. The goal is to build a lobbying force able to interfere with the public authorities. More than 200 journalists representing 50 radio stations, 16 news agencies, 35 TVs, 70 media outlets and 24 digital media publishers responded to the call. Members of civil society, experts, representatives of international organizations as well as public institutions are also expected. At the end of the Forum, a report of all the work as well as a summary of the Action Plan 2018/2019 which will be adopted will be produced.

This second edition responds to the theme “African Migrations: A Chance for the Continent, a Responsibility for the Media”. Its objectives will be to:

Mobilize African media to stimulate public debate around migration issues.
Contribute to correct the image of the migrant in the eyes of public opinion, be it in Africa or in the rest of the world.
Promote greater visibility of women-specific migration issues, whether in their country of origin or in their host country.
Rely on Les Pannafricaines network to consolidate the respect of the rules of journalistic ethics and professional ethics in dealing with migration issues.
Become a genuine source of proposals and influence the media organizations to disseminate essential, effective and powerful information.
Help Les Panafricaines women develop expertise on migration issues, within the framework of a united and concerted approach.

All these objectives nourish the ambition to contribute to a global awakening on the responsibility of the media and their role in the construction of an opinion within the African societies.

The central theme, that of the migration issue, is a subject that is constantly on the front page of the media and constitutes a real global phenomenon. According to the United Nations, the number of international migrants reached 258 million at the beginning of the year. In other words, the number of international migrants has grown faster than the world’s population. But migration is not a fatality. The media, through the images they broadcast, the reports they make, and the articles they write, have an undeniable responsibility for this phenomenon.

Be recalled that the first edition, held on March 8^th, 2017 in Marrakech, was attended by 100 journalists from 23 African countries. All of them were able to participate in workshops on different themes bringing together the concerns of women journalists in Africa, the reinforcement of synergies between journalists from the continent, the responsibility of the media in spreading stereotypes, the respect of gender equality.

These working sessions also gathered the views of participants and their concerns, as well as their recommendations for improving the status of women journalists in Africa. These recommendations served as a basis for the development of the “Charter of the Women Journalists Network of Africa”.

(Press Release)