Gender mainstreaming policy

Name of article: Gender mainstreaming policy

Name of publication: BAM Media Informative Newspaper

Country: Lesotho

Theme: Women

Quotable quotes

Provide one quote from your story that demonstrates what has changed in your life/ the life of the leader since you/the leader became gender aware.

Women deserve as much opportunities, respect and all that is afforded their male counterparts since they are not less of human men.

Most memorable experience in your work as a leader

Please share a short story that may be inspirational; emotional or significant in other ways that demonstrates the essence of your/the leaders work. In what way do you/or does the leader qualify to be a Driver of Change? Please make this clear at the outset of the piece.

Every moment at work is both memorable and duly inspirational in driving to the fore the gender agenda. There is nothing more fulfilling than the knowledge that what one is doing is as much motivational as it is a source of influencing positive change. Gender mainstreaming has become for me more than just a work related arena but is the very basis of life since it inspires and enforces respect for all based squarely on merit not on gender. Men and women have been built and accordingly wired differently in order to complement one another in their differences but are other deserving of equal life opportunities that do not take note of their different sexes.

Give a short history of the leader

Please give information on your/the leaders background, where he/she/you started, how you got involved in gender work. Please capture any light bulb moments, through anecdotes and examples.

Like most men, I come from humble beginnings on the gender agenda, which that background of strong sexism. I have always believed that women are the inferior species of people who do not deserve any influential and or leadership responsibilities as they duly belong in the shadows. However, I have with time been educated to the fact that opportunities are not respecters of sexes in any way, form or shape. This was instilled in me through trainings and workshops by relevant stakeholder government ministries as well as NGOs involved in the gender mainstreaming process. I must confess that I come from a background that would not have recognized a woman as leader or boss, to one that now prefers and appreciates female leaders even more. It had been so much that even in the very household environment when I had my first child-a girl-I didn’t feel as much of a parent as when I had my son. Gender-sensitivity charts a way for a more fulfilling life direction.

Objectives

What is his/her/your personal mission statement?

To empower and be empowered by all people based on merit without regard whatsoever of gender, in order to play a significant role in bridging the gender divide gap and empower those marginalized on gender premises.

Key activities

Describe the nature of your work. include any negative experience

My work entails spearheading the operations and functionality or a media company which produces three different publications-a weekly newspaper and two magazines one focused on women empowerment while the other is focused on youth empowerment. The work involves having to daily deal with gender issues and realms since it is about instilling the sense of acknowledgement of the gender agenda in the public. I am in charge of all operations including editorial, income generation through sales and marketing as well as general admin.

Key challenges

Describe challenges faced in pushing for gender equality in the media house.

The main challenge experienced in pushing for gender equality is rejection of and by the patriarchal system especially in the media space. Historically men have and continue to be viewed as main newsmakers as opposed to their female counterparts, hence swimming against that current becomes an inherent challenge.

The challenges of achieving gender equality in the media space are experienced not only when dealing with men who feel threatened by the very notion of women empowerment, but by the very women who feel it is not right for them to be fighting for similar opportunities with men as history has taught them otherwise. It is therefore, an inherent challenge to convince even most women that all should be accorded similar opportunities, respect and worth by merit not their sex.

Change at the individual level

Please state how championing gender has changed your life? Why has it changed? What other factors/people have been responsible for this change?

It has enabled me to live a life of equal opportunities for all. A life that says everyone is as capable of success as they are offering and that their being male or female has nothing to do with that.

Evidence of change at the individual level

Please provide evidence and at least one quote from other people to support your statements on change at personal level. Please ensure that you provide name, surname, organisation and designation if applicable.

I have been commended for being an open-minded non-discriminative individual who looks at everyone’s ability on merit and nothing on and about their sex, race, physical state or any such factors. The view can be attested to by the Director of the Lesotho National League for Visually Impaired Persons Miss Keneuoe Semphi.

Change at institutional level

Please state how the change in your life has brought positive change in your institution. What innovation have you brought to the institution in light of the Post 2015 goals.

It has allowed all to start viewing life in a different light and in the process reach out even to the previously unreachable, or would otherwise not be considered realms. Since learning in depth about the gender agenda and the modalities of gender equality I have sought to be at the very fore-front in both women empowerment as well as accentuating the idea of equal opportunities for all. Some of the innovations brought to the institution post 2015 include news and photography balancing in the between the sexes since all are equally capable of being newsmakers.

Evidence of change at institutional level

Please provide testimonial evidence Please give examples and quote others. Ensure that you provide name, surname, organisation and designation if applicable.

Most of my staff can attest to my all-inclusive and all-reaching system which does not view one’s being male or female.

Capacity building

Please give an outline of any activity or training you undertook to build the capacity of others.

Following empowerment on gender issues by Gender Links, we, at leadership level created a platform for regular gender checks and trainings through working with relevant government ministries and NGOs.

Lessons learned and shared

What lessons have been learned in the process?

The main lesson is that the gender agenda is at the very core of the national discourse and shapes public opinion about all issues at all realms of life.

Next Steps. What are your future plans?

What are your future plans? Concluding thoughts.

Future plans include advancing and even further accentuating the gender equality thinking. I also intend to invest more time in community development through participating in women empowerment initiatives by even joining one or two more NGOs tasked with both gender equality and women empowerment.

Supporting evidence here, such as media articles or programmes, in- house newsletters, policies, and testimonial evidence (letters, E Mails), that attest to the extent to which you have been promoting gender equality in your work. Please note that files may not be more than 50 MB in total.

Informative Newspaper draft policy