Promoted participation of young journalists and communication officers in “Gender and Gender Equality”

This is an activity under the VSF’s initiative of the same name, which has surpassed 12 proposals in the Asia region and was funded by the Small Grant Program of the Asian Gender Trainers' Network Program (2021 AGenT SGP).

The initiative aims to build and support a group of young journalists and communication officers to become gender champions, thereby contributing to raising public awareness and changing behaviour through their press and communication products. These gender champions will also influence their peers to create more gender champions

Nearly 30 journalists and communication officers attended the communication training with gender sensibility in October 2021

Nearly 30 journalists and communication officers attended the communication training with gender sensibility in October 2021.

With a variety of training methods such as experiential games, hypothetical debate session, role-playing, and dramatisation, the participants have understood the basic concepts of gender and sex, gender stereotypes and gender roles, gender sensitivity, gender mainstreaming, gender responsibility, gender identity, sexual orientation, and gender expression. Besides, some current gender issues, as well as relevant international and national legal frameworks, were also introduced to the trainees.

Under the course, the trainees also practised skills to build gender-sensitive products by pointing out “gender sensitivities” and “gender stereotypes” in recent press products. Through the exercise, the trainees have analysed and drew lessons on how to add “gender sensitivities” and remove “gender stereotypes” in their products.

Pham Sy Cong and team at the training course

“So far, my knowledge of gender and gender equality has been zero, because I have not been able to approach this issue anywhere. The training course opened my horizons to applying this knowledge in the construction of journalistic and media works, especially to avoid reinforcing gender stereotypes in my press products,” shared Pham Sy Cong, contributor of Lao Dong and Dan Viet newspapers.

Journalist Hoang Thi Van with the expected knowledge from the training

“The training course helped me realise that I myself have reinforced gender stereotypes while performing interviews and making press products. I defaulted to views that males cannot take care of others as well as females, and that females cannot be as good leaders as males,” said Hoang Thi Van, journalist of Business and Brand magazine.

After the training, the trainees will attend a field trip to develop topics on gender equality before participating in the final workshop to share their acquired knowledge and skills, difficulties, challenges, and future plans. At the same time, all trainees of the two courses will join in a “gender and gender equality” network launched by VSF for further discussion.

Tran Hong Diep in the training course

“VSF is really proud to be a member of the Asian Gender Trainers' Network and a partner of the Korean Institute for Gender Equality Promotion and Education. This series of activities with journalists and communication officers is one of VSF's long-term efforts to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals on equality. We have also been mainstreaming gender in all of our programmes and projects to ensure that no one is left behind,” said Tran Hong Diep, VSF deputy director, who has 20 years of experience in gender and gender equality and acted as the facilitator of the course.