Women Media Center
Encyclopedia
The Women Media Center (WMC) is a non-profit organization
based in Karachi
, Pakistan
promoting Gender Equality
in Pakistani
Mass Media
. Its core functions are to conduct research
trainings and educate women in various professions of media
.
Another objective of the WMC is to promote creativity among the Pakistani women, train them with latest facilities, equip them with modern journalistic approaches and assist them in being a productive part of Pakistani and International
Journalism
Fraternity.
Ms. Fauzia Shaheen felt the dire need of Women Journalists representing in the mainstream media, weak democratic structure of Pakistan
, lack of resources, insignificant number of women representation in mainstream media contributed in establishing Women Media Center.
Ms. Fauzia Shaheen serves as the Founder and the Executive Director
Women Media Center Pakistan.
Projects
The Women Media Center organizes projects, seminars and workshops that encourage women journalists to work in an enabling professional environment.
Women Media Center has organized workshops to improve the skills of women journalists in:
To add up to the credentials of WMC it has conducted ten-day training workshops on a National
Platform for female journalists on television
reporting and has organized two National Conferences on the role of Women Journalists in Pakistan. Currently situated in the largest metropolis of Pakistan i.e. Karachi
, the WMC aspires not only to reach all areas of Pakistan but also to expand its operations in whole of South Asia
.
She is the Founder President
of Women Media Center Pakistan and internationally acclaimed Pakistani journalist. She is also the founding editor of “Dastak” a well-reputed monthly news magazine and Quarterly Liberal Pakistan. She also contributes articles to BBC online Urdu service. Ms. Shaheen has also worked for the largest newspaper of Pakistan Daily Jang
.
Ms. Shaheen won the best Feature writer award on the prisoners’ condition of Pakistan with special reference to Central Jail Karachi in 1990. She also won the PPF-UNESCO Gender award in 2005.
Over the span of 20 years she has interviewed prominent national and international politicians and dignitaries including Asif Ali Zardari
( Current President of Pakistan), Ms. Benazir Bhutto
(former Prime Minister of Pakistan), Begum Sheikh Hasina Wajid (Ex. Prime Minister of Bangladesh), Mr. Sher Bahadur Dueba and Mr.K P Bhatta Rai (Ex. Prime Ministers of Nepal), Mr. Tyranne Fernando, (Ex. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka), and Mr. Don McKinnon
, Secretary General of Commonwealth Association.
Ms. Shaheen has served twice as the Executive member of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society
(APNS) and member of the International Relation Committee, Sindh
Committee and Periodical Committee of Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE).
She is the founding member of South Asian Editors Forum and has the honor of being a member of International Women Media Foundation, Commonwealth Journalists Association, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, Karachi Union of Journalists and Karachi Press Club
.
Her career in journalism spanning over more than two decades she has participated in various international workshops and seminars in India
, Sri Lanka
, Bangladesh
, Maldives
, Nepal
, Afghanistan
and Germany
organized by International Center for Peace Initiatives (India), Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society (Canada
), The International Academy of Leadership, Gummersbach (Germany), Friedrich Naumann Stiftung, Commonwealth Journalists Association and United States Information Agency (The International Visitor’s Program).
Is a senior writer
; through her writing she has promoted the ideas of good governance
and transparent electoral process. She is a dedicated activist for Peace, democracy
and civil liberties
.
Nazir Ahmed Leghari
Is a well-known journalist
and political analyst who covers national and international political issues. He is the founder editor
of Daily Awam, Karachi, (The largest circulated Evening Urdu Daily of Pakistan
). He has interviewed many national and international figures including Benazir Bhutto
, King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz, V.P Singh, Ahmed Shah Masood, Begum Shaikh Hasina Wajid, and Mother Teresa
etc.
Dr. Huma Baqai
Is an Assistant Professor at IBA
. She has been teaching International Relations since 1995 and has authored a number of articles including “Globalization and Unemployment: Impact on South Asia, The Role of ethnicity in South Asia, The Role of Media in the Politics of South Asia
.
Beena Qayyum Khan
Beena has been associated with CNBC
Pakistan
as a reporter. She is a law student specializing on human rights
. She has participated in various seminars and workshops organized by various UNDP, FHRI (Fazaldad Human Rights Institute), FNF (Friedrich Naumann Foundation), LFP (Liberal Forum of Pakistan) and WISCOMP-India.
Atiq-ur-Rehman Khan
Is a well-known journalist
in Pakistan
, who is a committed advocate of Peace, Democracy and Liberalism. Atiq has contributed in many articles on socio political developments in South Asia
, Central Asia
, and Middle East
and especially in Pakistan
.
Riaz Bhatti
Is very senior
and competent journalist
works in Daily Awam. He obtained Master degree in Siraiki Language
& literature (The ancient language of the Indus Valley) from Islamia University Bahawalpur (Punjab
). He has expertise in current affairs
, economics
, human rights
, good governance
and conflict resolution
.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
based in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
promoting Gender Equality
Gender equality
Gender equality is the goal of the equality of the genders, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality.- Concept :...
in Pakistani
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
Mass Media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
. Its core functions are to conduct research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
trainings and educate women in various professions of media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
.
Another objective of the WMC is to promote creativity among the Pakistani women, train them with latest facilities, equip them with modern journalistic approaches and assist them in being a productive part of Pakistani and International
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
Journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
Fraternity.
Ms. Fauzia Shaheen felt the dire need of Women Journalists representing in the mainstream media, weak democratic structure of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, lack of resources, insignificant number of women representation in mainstream media contributed in establishing Women Media Center.
Ms. Fauzia Shaheen serves as the Founder and the Executive Director
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
Women Media Center Pakistan.
Projects
The Women Media Center organizes projects, seminars and workshops that encourage women journalists to work in an enabling professional environment.
Women Media Center has organized workshops to improve the skills of women journalists in:
- Television Reporting
- Camera WorkCamera WorkCamera Work was a quarterly photographic journal published by Alfred Stieglitz from 1903 to 1917. It is known for its many high-quality photogravures by some of the most important photographers in the world and its editorial purpose to establish photography as a fine art...
- EditingEditingEditing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
- Story Making
- Article Writing
- Storyboarding
To add up to the credentials of WMC it has conducted ten-day training workshops on a National
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
Platform for female journalists on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
reporting and has organized two National Conferences on the role of Women Journalists in Pakistan. Currently situated in the largest metropolis of Pakistan i.e. Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, the WMC aspires not only to reach all areas of Pakistan but also to expand its operations in whole of South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
.
The WMC Team
Fauzia Shaheen - General Secretary & Executive DirectorShe is the Founder President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of Women Media Center Pakistan and internationally acclaimed Pakistani journalist. She is also the founding editor of “Dastak” a well-reputed monthly news magazine and Quarterly Liberal Pakistan. She also contributes articles to BBC online Urdu service. Ms. Shaheen has also worked for the largest newspaper of Pakistan Daily Jang
Daily Jang
The Daily Jang is an Urdu newspaper based in Pakistan. It is the oldest newspaper of Pakistan in continuous publication since its foundation in 1939. Its current Group Chief Executive & Editor-in-Chief is Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman....
.
Ms. Shaheen won the best Feature writer award on the prisoners’ condition of Pakistan with special reference to Central Jail Karachi in 1990. She also won the PPF-UNESCO Gender award in 2005.
Over the span of 20 years she has interviewed prominent national and international politicians and dignitaries including Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....
( Current President of Pakistan), Ms. Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
(former Prime Minister of Pakistan), Begum Sheikh Hasina Wajid (Ex. Prime Minister of Bangladesh), Mr. Sher Bahadur Dueba and Mr.K P Bhatta Rai (Ex. Prime Ministers of Nepal), Mr. Tyranne Fernando, (Ex. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka), and Mr. Don McKinnon
Don McKinnon
Sir Donald Charles "Don" McKinnon, ONZ, GCVO is a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand. He was the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations from 2000 until 2008.-Early life:...
, Secretary General of Commonwealth Association.
Ms. Shaheen has served twice as the Executive member of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society
All Pakistan Newspapers Society
All Pakistan Newspapers Society is the organization of the major Pakistani newspapers owners. Its election is held every year and three major groups of newspapers are the major players, and they are: Jang Group, Dawn Group and Nawa-i-Waqt Group. These groups are accused for bribing the smaller...
(APNS) and member of the International Relation Committee, Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
Committee and Periodical Committee of Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE).
She is the founding member of South Asian Editors Forum and has the honor of being a member of International Women Media Foundation, Commonwealth Journalists Association, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, Karachi Union of Journalists and Karachi Press Club
Karachi Press Club
The Karachi Press Club , is an association of primarily news journalists, but also includes academics, business people and members of the public service, and is located at Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. KPC was the first press club of Pakistan. Its first election was held in 1958, I.H...
.
Her career in journalism spanning over more than two decades she has participated in various international workshops and seminars in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
organized by International Center for Peace Initiatives (India), Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society (Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
), The International Academy of Leadership, Gummersbach (Germany), Friedrich Naumann Stiftung, Commonwealth Journalists Association and United States Information Agency (The International Visitor’s Program).
Board of directors
Shaheena Sultana - PresidentIs a senior writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
; through her writing she has promoted the ideas of good governance
Good governance
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to guarantee the realization of human rights. Governance describes "the process of decision-making and the process by which...
and transparent electoral process. She is a dedicated activist for Peace, democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and civil liberties
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
.
Nazir Ahmed Leghari
Is a well-known journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and political analyst who covers national and international political issues. He is the founder editor
Editor in chief
An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
of Daily Awam, Karachi, (The largest circulated Evening Urdu Daily of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
). He has interviewed many national and international figures including Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
, King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz, V.P Singh, Ahmed Shah Masood, Begum Shaikh Hasina Wajid, and Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
etc.
Dr. Huma Baqai
Is an Assistant Professor at IBA
IBA
-Iba:People*Clarence Iba , American basketball coach*Erol Iba , Indonesian footballer*Henry Iba , American basketball coach*Moe Iba , American basketball coach*Itsuki Iba, a fictional characterPlaces...
. She has been teaching International Relations since 1995 and has authored a number of articles including “Globalization and Unemployment: Impact on South Asia, The Role of ethnicity in South Asia, The Role of Media in the Politics of South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
.
Beena Qayyum Khan
Beena has been associated with CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
as a reporter. She is a law student specializing on human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
. She has participated in various seminars and workshops organized by various UNDP, FHRI (Fazaldad Human Rights Institute), FNF (Friedrich Naumann Foundation), LFP (Liberal Forum of Pakistan) and WISCOMP-India.
Atiq-ur-Rehman Khan
Is a well-known journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, who is a committed advocate of Peace, Democracy and Liberalism. Atiq has contributed in many articles on socio political developments in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, and Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and especially in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Riaz Bhatti
Is very senior
Senior
Senior may refer to:* Senior citizen, a common polite designation for an elderly person in both UK and US English* Senior , a 2010 album by Röyksopp* Senior , a student in the final year of high school, college or university...
and competent journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
works in Daily Awam. He obtained Master degree in Siraiki Language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
& literature (The ancient language of the Indus Valley) from Islamia University Bahawalpur (Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
). He has expertise in current affairs
Current affairs
Current affairs can refer to:*Current affairs : a genre of broadcast journalism* an approximate synonym for current events* an approximate synonym for politics* "Current Affairs", a song by Zion I from Heroes in the City of Dope...
, economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, good governance
Good governance
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to guarantee the realization of human rights. Governance describes "the process of decision-making and the process by which...
and conflict resolution
Conflict resolution
Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of some social conflict. Often, committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information about their conflicting motives or ideologies to the rest...
.