Gender equality studied by university professors

“Men are the voice, women are the image” is one of the statements that started discussions at the workshop on the topic of Balanced Approach to Gender in Media. The event was organized by the IJC on November 22 and 23, and it was attended by a group of professors from the journalism departments of Chisinau and Balti universities.

The program trainer, Daniela Terzi-Barbarosie, helped participants, by means of tests, practical exercises and discussions, in becoming aware of the gender issues and better understanding the notions of stereotype, prejudice, sex and gender.

Alexandru Bohantov, professor at the Department of Journalism and Public Communication of the ULIM University, said that some of the most interesting moments of the workshop were the analysis of media products from the gender perspective and the examination of models of balanced approach to this issue.

Mariana Tacu, professor at the Department of Journalism and Communication Sciences of the Moldova State University, said that she identified the factors that contribute to establishing certain perceptions regarding gender, as well as the way colleagues from other universities understand this issue.

During the group activities in the second part of the workshop, journalism professors from the Moldova State University, Moldova University of European Studies, Free International University of Moldova (ULIM), and the “Alecu Russo” State University of Balti outlined the structure of future university curricula on the topic of Balanced Approach to Gender in Media, which will become useful instruments for professors in training future journalists.

As a result of the first workshop, participants formed teams that will begin developing several university curricula and a short-time program, which will be presented and analyzed during the second workshop organized by the IJC in early 2014.

The workshop was part of the “Changing the perception on women in Moldovan society through media” a project implemented by the IJC between September 2013 and September 2014 with the financial support of the Netherlands Embassy  through the MATRA Program.