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Launch of 2 IPDC projects in Madagascar
Out of 130 applications received for the 2023 call for projects of UNESCO's International Program for the Development of Communication (IPDC), 43 projects were selected, including 2 in Madagascar.
At a press conference held on September 22, 2023 in Antananarivo, UNESCO presented the 2 selected Madagascan projects.
Protection of Women Journalists in Madagascar during the 2023-2024 elections
In Madagascar, radio remains the most widely used medium, but its media landscape is constantly evolving. In 2021, a political divide became more pronounced in radio programs, reflecting the division between the opposition and the government. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitization of the media, exposing women journalists to increasing cases of violence, intimidation and harassment, disrupting their ability to perform their duties. An internal survey conducted in 2020 among Studio Sifaka's network of 35 radio stations revealed that only 10% of political journalists are women, 48% of whom face various forms of discrimination, harassment and violence, from their superiors, colleagues, political actors or economic players. However, the lack of official statistics and adequate support mechanisms raises fears of an increase in violence in the run-up to the 2023/2024 elections.
The project, implemented by Studio Sifaka, aims to strengthen measures to prevent and respond to violence and harassment against women journalists, particularly those covering politics, during the 2023-2024 electoral cycle.
This project is committed to improving the safety and well-being of women journalists in Madagascar, ensuring impartial and balanced media coverage of the upcoming elections. It will also help to promote a respectful and egalitarian professional environment for women working in journalism.
Awareness-raising and capacity-building for journalists on the challenges of access to public information
In Madagascar, the law on access to information has been in gestation and waiting to be passed for 17 years. Yet, according to a 2021 Internews survey on the media landscape in Madagascar, 42% of journalists interviewed said they had difficulty accessing credible and reliable information.
The adoption of a law would guarantee a calmer media environment, fair access to information and better protection of information sources.
ILONTSERA, the prime contractor for this project, was involved in the design of the draft law on access to public information, and led advocacy and lobbying for its adoption. Through this project, ILONTSERA aims to have the bill adopted.
The two selected projects have put forward a specific gender approach to meet the needs of women journalists in Madagascar, including the question of their safety during elections, adaptation to their specific constraints, inclusiveness and the integration of a gender dimension into training curricula.
The respective training courses for these projects began in October, with workshops across Madagascar, in connection with the electoral context, and are due to end in June 2024.
