The releasing and reviewing program of the research “Role of Media in Increasing and Decreasing the Violence against Women” on Nov. 28, 2017 was conducted with the presence of officials, members of media support organizations, social activists, women rights activists and media. First of all, Ms. Zahra Sepehr welcomed the guests and gave information about the project. Meanwhile, she also talked about the purpose of the research, necessity and efficiency of the research and talked about the position of media and the necessity of criticizing the broadcastings of the media.

Afterward, Ms. Yalda Royanas the representative of the Mosharekat Promote Project, which helped this project financially, talked about the Mosharekat Project, procedure of the activities, necessity for the selection of the project, efficiency of the research and the programs conducted by Mosharekat. She was very pleased with the research conducted and she thanked our organization for its work.

The next speaker of the program was Mr. Sayed Hussain Sancharaki, who admired the research and then talked about the necessity of making law-abiding media, criticizing the media and professionalizing the media. Announcing that the Ministry of Culture and Information is ready to help, he asked for further work on this issue. He admired the role of media in broadcasting news about women and violence against women and he mentioned the gaps in media that should be reformed. He hopped that with conducting more researches on this issue would help us have better media broadcastings in the future.

The proclamation of the Ministry of Women Affairs was recited by Sayema Sadaat. The proclamation pointed to the role and position of media in our country and the activities of the Ministry of Women Affairs on women and violence against women related issues. The proclamation suggested some solutions to combat violence against women. He said that the findings of the research were very effective to combat violence against women. In addition, he thanked Development and Support of Afghan Women and Children Organization for its service.

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The second part of the program was covered by presentations; presentation about the research was presented by Hayatullah Ensafi, the manager of the research, and the presentation about advocacy group was done by Jamila Azizi ( President of the Advocacy Group). Methodology of the research, findings of the research, suggestions and the introduction of the advocacy group were explained for the participants in this part of the program.

The third part of the program was covered by a theater called “ It is ours which is on us” ( Az Maast ke bar Maast) performed by Theater Girls-Equity Ambassadors. A brief peace of information was given to the audience at the beginning of the program and then the theater was performed with context of violence against women in media and was warmly received by the audience.

The fourth part of the program was questions answers in which Mr. Mobariz Rashidi, ex-deputy press deputy of Ministry of Culture and Information, Mojib Khelwatgar, Executive manager of Free Media Support Organization, Baz Mohammad Amozgar, representative of Independent Commission of Human Rights, and Ms. Sajia Behgam, couns

 

elor form Executive Directorate, answered the questions of the participants. The host of this part was Mr. Hayatullah Ensafi.

Mr. Rashidi said that the research was important and good beginning for further debates on this issue. Furthermore, he had his own reviews, critiques and suggestions on this research. Mr. Rashidi believes that women and media are both victims and vulnerable in Afghanistan and need support.

Moojib Khelwatgar, who knew about the research from the beginning, called the research an effective work and beginning of new debates on this issue. He admired the media in Afghanistan for broadcasting the truth and he had his critiques and ideas on the research. Eventually, he hopped the a joint operatin would be done on this issue.

Considering the research very important, Ms. Sajia Behgam said that the Executive Directorate is ready to help with advocacy and reforming the media. She promised that if Development and Support of Afghan Women and Children Organization wanted, she could negotiate the issue with the cabinet and the president.

Mr. Baz Mohammad Amozgar first of all mentioned the increase of violence against women according to the reports of Independent Commission of Human Rights and the gaps in the media, and then he said that this research is a great help to reform the media.

In the end, the conclusion of the debate was announced by Ms. Zahra Sepehr and she also answered the questions, suggestions and critiques regarding the research. Recalling a media gap and the resolution of the research on it, Ms. Zahra Sepehr hopped that the research could be a good guide for the newly established media in Afghanistan.