Jeanine RIVOMALALA – Madagascar

I am the manager of the Information Department. I lead the editors’ conference, as well as the human resources manager. I was born and grew up in Antananarivo. I did my secondary school in LTC. Then I studied law at the University of Antananarivo. When I was in my third year, I got a scholarship to study journalism in Bucharest. I am an orphan, which pushes me to do my best in everything I do, and to fight for my success. I continued my studies in journalism. I remember that when I was a child, I was envious of journalists I saw on TV.

The beginning of my partnership with Gender Links was when a journalist from Tribune Madagascar looked for an article about gender equality. This journalist told me that an activity called 16 Days of Activism would happen, and I could participate and see how it was. That was when Ialfine sent me detailed information about gender and Gender Links. Since this, I have worked with Gender Links closely, and I have had many opportunities to meet them. I take part in workshops, in different activities like 16 days, and of course I do media coverage for GL.

This encounter has changed the way I manage staff, and the way I communicate with other people. I now base my actions on the importance of each one’s rights; even the way I choose angles in editors’ conferences.

I am still making changes and correcting myself, because since the day I started working with GL, I have understood that knowledge and skills do not define your personality. Instead, the way you create relationships with other people, and your ability to share opinions and experiences can define you.

My worst experience was during a workshop. I was shocked to learn that someone who fights for gender equality is in a relationship with an engaged man – what I learnt from that is that what you say needs to match your actions, or it has no value.

My best experience was an investigation I carried out and broadcast. It was about sexual harassment. I discovered and shared how can we lodge a complaint after a case of sexual harassment. To do this, I looked into the different institutions that can help you. I further explored which laws and regulations deal with sexual harassment, and what the process is. After I disseminated it on the national TV station, I got many comments from viewers. Many of them spoke about being victims of sexual harassment in their office or school. What I got from this experience is that there are problems that women face in their everyday life, and they do not know how to deal with them. As a journalist, I can play a unique role in helping them.

Gender Links has played an important role in these changes in my way of working. GL helped me to understand what gender is, because before I knew the word, but not the concept. GL strengthened my values. Today, I know how to adopt a gendered view of society, and translate it in my work.

In the future, I will create a place where I can train and educate teenagers, so that they can raise their friends’ awareness about gender equality and contribute to the eradication of stereotypes. In conclusion, I advice GL to choose people with whom they work, because as I said above it is not only about what you say, but also and mainly how you live your life.