The Global Alliance on Media and Gender and Communication Governance and Policy: A Window to Open

• In Event: Feminist Contributions to Global Communications Governance and Policy

Abstract

The Beijing Platform for Action was a catalyst for feminist research. Since then, feminist scholars from all regions of the world have acted—at times individually, at other times collectively—on three levels: providing knowledge, setting the public agenda on gender and communication debates. and influencing on communication governance and policy. At present international core initiatives are taking place to prompt review of the main advances and remaining challenges in the areas identified by the Platform. One of these initiatives is the United Nations’ Global Alliance on Media and Gender (GAMAG). The International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) was invited to take part in this initiative. With this invitation, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recognized the crucial role of feminist scholars in the assessment of key objectives of the GAMAG, particularly of those related to building knowledge to increase women’s participation in and access to media (as stated in its “Framework and Plan for action”). As described in this paper, the GAMAG represents for researchers a historical opportunity to act collectively in the global arena and a window to be opened to influence the advancement of the gender and communication agenda, particularly that related to communication governance and policy.

Author

• Medley Aimee Vega Montiel, U Nacional Autonoma de Mexico