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Severe macro fears; govt. seeks IMF program revival, another policy rate hike on cards
From the Editor’s Desk
Aggravated macro-economic uncertainties continue to haunt new government, pushing Finance ministry to initiate technical discussions with IMF. However, highlights of political and economic uncertainty will continue to affect performance business sentiments in near term coupled with Rupee stability, which now dependents on external financing and SBP’s medium-term inflation outlook.
The Fund has agreed in principle to add USD 2.0Bn to existing EFF program, which initially was USD 6.0Bn while there are also talks of extending program timeline to May 2023 from October 2022. However, outcome may resultantly be hard conditions including improving fiscal discipline and reducing pressure on the external account.
Besides, as govt. believes in raising fuel prices, inflation concerns have led to a sharp rise in market yields as witnessed by the T-bill auction held during the week where yields for 3-6-12 months paper rose by 129-114-96 bps to clock in at 14.8-15.0-14.8 percent, respectively.
Consequently, making a case for another monetary adjustment of 100bp, sentiments of another monetary adjustment of upto 200bp hike have surfaced. More specifically evident from the rise of c.200bp in 6M and 12M yields since the last monetary policy announcement on April 07th.. The Ramadan effect will likely continue to create its impact food inflation during Apr-2022 where there are witness increase in basket items prices fresh fruits, and oil/ghee. Ramadan/Eid-festivity will also create its impact on clothing index
Pakistan’s fiscal balance in the outgoing nine months of fiscal 2022 posted a deficit of Rs.2,566bn, added 55 percent on year on higher than prior year’s deficit. In terms of percentage of GDP, the deficit arrived at 4.0 percent in 9th month of fiscal22 against 1 percent higher from last year’s same period number based on revised(rebased) GDP figure. However, the primary balance turned negative during the 9th month of present fiscal and stood at Rs. 447bn (-0.7% of GDP) compared to a primary surplus of Rs.452bn, witnessed same period last year of 0.8 percent of GDP.
Total expenditures, on the other hand, went up by 27 percent on year on basis to Rs. 8.44trn, 13.2 percent of GDP as against 12 percent of GDP in 9th month of fiasal21. Further breakup revealed that current expenditure underwent an uptick of 21 percent on year on of which defense expenditures jacked up by 12 percent on year on basis.

However, markup expenses evident a meagre uptick of 1 percent yearly to Rs. 2.11trn. Likewise, development expenditure and net lending undertaken by the government increased by 45 percent on year on basis to Rs 1.05trn. whereas, total PSDP expenditure in 9th month of this fiscal reached at Rs 1.03trn that is an addition of 58 percent with provincial expenditure at Rs. 724bn, and addition of 86 percent of outdoing Federal disbursement of Rs. 309bn, 17 percent higher bon yearl basis.
Similarly, 6M KIBOR rose to 14.1 percent, pushing it to highest level of last 13 years. Consequently, another policy rate hike expectation amongst market participants further dampened sentiment on the local bourse. Moreover, rising fiscal deficit of 4percent of GDP already in 9th month of fiscal22 portrayed a bleak economic outlook while CAD for the month of March 22 doubled on month on basis to USD 1.0Bn on account of rising energy and palm oil prices.
Despite Pakistani rupee stayed resilient throughout week and closed at PKR 185.9USD, taking a dip of 0.5 percent on weekly basis on account of fruitful IMF dialogue to date and possibly a resumption of the stalled program.
Major data releases during the week included:

1. SBP raised PKR 672Bn as T-bill yields soared by 129/114/96 bps for 3/6/12 month paper respectively.
2. CAD for the month of Mar’22 clocked-in at USD 1.0Bn, and hike of 179 percent of year on, 98 percent on moth on basis, taking 9th month of fiscal22 CAD to USD 13.2Bn,
3. 6M-KIBOR hit a 13-year high to clock-in at 14.1 percent, and
4. Fiscal deficit in 9th month of fiscal22 jacks up to PKR 2.6Trn, swelling up to 55 percent on year on basis.

Despite the new government stepping up and forming a Cabinet with stakeholders from all coalition parties, political uncertainty continues to rise in country in wake of demand for new elections has carried on to pick up pace.

Coupled with bleak outlook of the economy weighed in on business’ sentiment throughout the week, IMF projected Pakistan’s GDP to inflation estimates to deteriorate to 4/11.2 percent during current fiscal.

The new Finance Minister, Miftah Ismail, took charge of the portfolio and immediately stressed upon resumption of IMF program to ease off pressure building on the forex reserves while addressing concerns with regards to the external funding gap. Commenting on the economic position of the country, Miftah highlighted that current landscape is challenging and tough measures would be needed to regain confidence of IMF and put the economy back on track.

Resultantly, reversal of fuel and electricity subsidy, reduction in circular debt, discontinuation of amnesty schemes, rise in electricity rates and fiscal savings are the key conditions put forward by IMF.

The announcement instilled caution in wake of ex- tended runaway inflation during coming months and possibly further monetary tightening which was also hinted by the MTB’s auction conducted during the week.

On account of weak macro outlook and hefty import bill, despite a marginal 0.1 percent week on gain in forex reserves, Pak rupee continued to lose against greenback and depreciated by 2.8 percent.

On the international front, crude oil prices declined during week despite the production of 1.45mn bpd by OPEC, which was lower than its target for March following the demand concerns.

However, it’s being hoped that resumption of IMF program and Chinese corporate debt rollover should stabilise pak rupees on the back of policy rate hike and fiscal measures taken by State Bank.

Moreover, with inflation readings only expected to worsen in the coming months, business sentiments and overall participation is likely to remain on the lower side.

Additionally , Forex reserves have declined to USD 17.1Bn while  reserves with SBP have slid to USD 10.9Bn mainly on account of high external debt servicing and rising import bill. Resultantly, Pakistan Rupee largely negated the gains seen in the previous week to close at PKR 186.7/USD, taking dip of 2.8 percent on week on basis, which is expected to remain under pressure, as essential imports maintain multi-year high price levels, until funding is arranged.

Major data releases during the week included: SBP raised PKR 854Bn as T-bill yields soared by 70/60/55 bps for 3/6/12 month paper. Second data was of Trade deficit for the month of March 2022 that clocked-in at USD 3.6Bn, which climbed up by 12 percent on year on basis to take nine month of present fiscal figure to USD 35.5Bn pushing to 71 percent on year on basis.

Secondly, Textile exports surged by 19.9 percent on year on basis during March while LSM posted a growth of 8.4 percent yearly during February this year.

Whereas country’s petroleum and food imports swelled by 60 percent during nine months of fiscal 2022.

Thirdly, forex reserves in the country clocked-in at USD 17.0Bn that swelled to 0.1% percent on weekly basis and forth was the Banking sector deposits that clocked-in that at PKR 20.5Tn during March registering an increase of 2.8/14. Percent on yearly basis.

Muhammad Kamran Rifat

People across the world today are witnessing the impact of climate change on the planet. The average temperatures are rising and causing wildfires, hurricanes, and other disasters. All of these are difficult to ignore. The scientists are of the con- sidered opinion that climate change is still the greatest threat to human health in recorded history while the world has been plunged into a deadly pandemic. The scientists argue that everyone must treat climate change with the same energy as they have Covid-19.

In August, when wildfires raged in the United States, Europe and Siberia World Health Organisation Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebre yesus said in a statement that “the risk posed by climate change could dwarf those of any single disease.”

But climate change is not a new phenomenon. The history dates to 900-1300 when the Medieval Warm Period brought warm weather to Europe when the unusually strong North Atlantic Oscillation brought about the extra heat. In 1709 Europe experienced a freakishly cold winter In 1824, French physicist Joseph Fourier described the Earth’s natural “greenhouse effect”. He writes: “The temperature [of the Earth] can be augmented by the interposition of the atmosphere because the heat in the state of light finds less resistance in penetrating the air than in re- passing into the air when converted into non-luminous heat.” In 1938 using records from 147 weather stations around the world, British engineer Guy Callendar showed that

temperatures had risen over the previous century. He also showed. that CO2 concentrations had increased over the same period and suggested that this caused the warm ing. The “Callendar effect” was widely dismissed by meteorologists.

In the 1970s the worry was for global cooling. This was because of the theory presented by some of the scientists the pollution emitted by the people could block sunlight and as a result cool Earth. The cooling period ended, and the global warming threat became real in the 1980s. Experts believed that 1988 was the turning point when watershed events placed global warming on the centre stage. The COP21 popularly. known as Paris Climate Agreement saw 197 countries pledging in 2015 to set a target for their greenhouse cuts and to report their progress. This was the first climate change was recog nised by the world and promised vigorous efforts.

A new global agreement, the Glasgow Climate Pact, was reached at the COP26 summit concluded in November this year. It was agreed that the countries will meet next year to pledge further cuts to emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) which is a major cause of climate change. For the first time in this conference, the participating countries planned to gradually reduce and phase down. the usage of coal responsible for 40% of annual CO2 emissions. The world leaders also agreed to phase out the subsidies on coal, oil, or natural gas.

So, why the climate change is the greatest threat facing humanity today? There areseveral factors and some of them are air pollution, extreme heat, food insecurity, infec tious diseases, and mental health. All of these are linked to and caused by an increase in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere. The burning of fossil fuels can have a direct impact on human health. Carbon dioxide could result in an increase in the acidity in the air which pulls more pollen from plants. This could be life-threatening for some and could cause a long bout of seasonal allergies. At first, the now they are concerned because the impact of climate change but the issues. According to an Inter

researcher did not see a direct link Change (IPCC) special report, crop yields have already begun to decline between climate change and the because of rising temperatures, harmful impact of heatwaves. But changing precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events. Studies human body was not designed to have shown that increased carbon cope with temperatures above 37 dioxide in the atmosphere can leech Celsius. Exposure to heat for a long plants of the nutrients that humans period can cause a cascade of prob- need to survive. The extended heat is lems throughout the body. Food making the geographic region where security is not the direct and harmful ticks and mosquitos like to live wider. disruption of the supply of food These animals are known to cause across the world can cause health diseases like malaria, dengue fever and Zika virus. The effects of climate governmental Panel on Climate change don’t occur in isolation. A

Image depicting a single, sad, dirty polar bear, floating on a dwindling chunk of ice, in the center of vast ocean garbage patch. Image is intended to illustrate themes like environmental degradation, ocean pollution, habitat loss, global warming, and climate change in general.

community at any given time face air pollution, food security, diseases, and extreme heat all at once or turn by turn in no random order.

One thing is clear that CO2 is not the only one that causes problems. It is part of the natural global ecosys tem. The real issue is the quantity of CO2 produced by humans which arethe highest in 800,000 years. We need to make a collective effort to combat the threat of climate change. And deforestation is not the solution.

According to German Watch, Pakistan has been ranked in the top ten of the countries most affected by climate change in the past 20 years. The reasons behind include the impact of back-to-back floods since 2010, the worst drought episode (1998-2002) as well as more recent droughts in Tharparkar and Cholistan, the intense heat wave in Karachi (in Southern Pakistan gener ally in July 2015, severe windstorms in Islamabad in June 2016, increased cyclonic activity and increased Global environmental problems need an all-of-society effort, urged participants of the fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly

As a first step, this needs to stop. There is still hope with the world progressively stepping towards eco friendly solutions like electric cars, encouraging people to use bicycles instead of cars, planning to reduce the usage of coal and other measures. All is not lost and together we all can reverse the impact of climate change or at best reduce it to minimum. A collective effort is must to get the desired result.

As for Pakistan is concerned, it is vulnerable to the effects of climate change which has occurred due to rapid industrialization with substan tial geo-political consequences. As things stand, the country is at a crossroads for a much warmer world.

Environmental Pollution can be turned into something useful

incidences of landslides and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in the northern parts of the country.

Pakistan Government has evolved policy frameworks backed by strat egy to address various aspects of the climate change including major policy and climate related interven tions. In order to mitigate the nega tive impacts of the automobile sector on environment and giving a boost to the national economy. The federal government has taken different initiatives to mitigate the adverse effects of environment and climate, in short.

Environmental concerns and issues with pollution waste and climate

By now almost every one acknowledges that the consumption-driven growth model that Pakistan has come to rely on to achieve high growth rates is unsus tainable. Most com- mentators also agree that Pakistan must shift towards exports as the key driver of growth.

tivity growth rate. Another way to view it is that, every time the real gross domestic product grows by more than the underlying productivity growth rate, macroeconomic imbalances start to emerge, requiring policymakers to respond with stabilization policies.

This narrative has given significant program. room to the present Pakistan Tehreek-i- Insaf government to implement neces sary stabilization measures aimed at containing consumption while, at the same time, providing incentives to export industries.

However, these and similar policy proposals by most commentators (including me) seem to have given rise to a fallacy that implementing stabiliza tion policies alone to address macro economic imbalances will somehow give rise to high growth path that does not lead to the International Monetary Fund. This is incorrect.

Stabilization policies which include fiscal and monetary policies remain what they are: they stabilize the economy around its underlying produc

Appreciating this alone can help policymakers reorient their focus away from macroeconomic stabilization as the ultimate policy objective towards improving the productivity of the economy. The need for this shift cannot be overemphasized. As Paul Krugman a Noble Laureate economist puts it, “productivity isn’t everything, but in the long run it is almost everything.”

Appreciating the importance of improving productivity will help break through another related fallacy often. pointed out by economists: that the government has its hands tied with reference to implementing growth friendly policies when under an IMF

A cursory look at data presents a

Economy of Pakistan Challenges & Prospects

depressing outlook demanding imme diate policy response. Every time the growth rate exceeds 4 per cent for few years, macroeconomic imbalances start emerging. For example, between fiscal years 2014 and 2018, the real GDP grew at more than 4pc. However, the current account worsened from – 1.49pc of the GDP to -6.14pc.

The growth episode during 2000s also presents a similar picture. While the economy grew at more than 5pc between FY04 and FY08, the current account deficit worsened from-0.8pc to -9.2pc of the GDP. Both these episodes culminated in large fiscal deficits primarily due to rising debt servicing costs and governments’ desire to delay undertaking necessary adjustments.

This leads to an obvious conclusion that any attempt to raise GDP growth rate beyond 4-5pc must come from increasing the productivity of the economy rather than from implement ing expansionary fiscal and monetary policies.

The importance of shifting our focus towards improving productivity can be further appreciated by acknowledging the critical role it plays in a country’s export performance. In a 2002 paper published in the Journal of International Economics, researchers use data on Spanish manufacturing firms to show that it is essentially the more productive firms that are more likely to enter the export market.

In a 2005 paper published in the Review of World Economics, research ers at the Boccioni University and the

Fiscal Deficit Climbs To Rs 3.403 Trillion in 2020-21 As Economy Slumps

important enabling or limiting factors in a country’s pursuit towards improving its productivity.

Considering this, any policy that facilitates interaction between a country’s resources land, labor and capital or improves the quality of such resources will contribute towards raising the productivity of the economy.

In many cases, a plethora of archaic and poorly researched rules and regulations present key hurdle in coming together of economic resources. In other cases, the lack of adequate laws is what is hindering development of markets.

Similarly, addressing critical infra- structure and diplomatic bottlenecks with the aim to develop trade linkages with regional Central and South Asian economies can go a long way in improving the productive potential of the economy. Reforming technical and

Forbes acknowledges Pakistan’s economic revival amid COVID-19

Centre for European Economic Research found similar results for German manufacturing firms. A 2008 paper published in the American Economic Review shows the same for Taiwanese electronics producers.

The precise factors determining the productivity of an economy have been a subject of much debate that contin ues to remain unresolved. But what can be said with relative certainty is that productivity growth rate depends on how effectively a country’s economic resources can come together for production purposes.

To be sure, policymakers must not restrict their attention to the quality of resources alone. Instead, and as emphasized by Robert Solow (another Nobel Laureate economist), social norms and institutions can also be

vocational training programs is another area which has not received necessary attention.

Now that the government has. already put in place most stabilization measures, the focus must shift towards. productivity-improving reforms. The economy is expected to start stabilizing in a year’s time. However, this entire eans around 4pc. rowing at a meager rate of

If the government does not initiate these reforms now, political consider ations closer to election will once again force the government to rely on expan sionary macroeconomic policies to fulfill pre-election promises. This will be a disaster or a repeat thereof.

Ahmed Jamal Pirzada has a PhD in Economics. He currently teaches at the University of Bristol and is a visiting fellow at the SDPI

While passing through an era of scientific inventions, information and technological developments and initiatives for digitalization, Pakistan is also making more or less accelerated activities and efforts for its digitaliza- tion at the earliest in an attempt to keep pace with fast developing coun- tries around the world.

According to information gathered from official and other sources con- cerned performance wise, as of March 2021, there were more than 4641 IT/ITES (Information Technology. Enabled Services) companied regis- tered under PSEB..

Under the DigiSkills programme being executed by Ignite, till recently, lion. more than 1.5 million students have been trained in various IT courses. The total earnings by freelancers were expected to cross US $ 350 million by the end of financial year 2020-21. Besides, in the National Incubation Centres (NICs) established in five cities across the country, around 650+ start-ups/incubates were busy in developing various marketable inno vative products and services.

In telecommunication sector, as of March 2021, cellular tele- density had increased from 79 per cent to around 85 per cent. The 3G/4G broadband services subscribers had further

increased from 81 million to 98 mil

Description

Jun 2020-Mar 2021

Mobile Cellular Tele-density: 78.8%-84.68%

Total Subscribers: 167.27 mil-183.20 mil

Total Broadband Subs: 83.20 mil-100.68 mil

3G/4G Broadband Subs: 81.40 mil 98.12 mil

The federal government during financial year 2020-21 under its Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), had allocated an amount of Rs 16.8 billion for Information Technology, Telecommunication and Space Technology related projects. Most of the projects were sponsored and executed through the Ministry of Information Technology & Tele communication with allocation of Rs 6.7 billion and its subsidiary organiza tions, whereas space technology. were executed by SUPARCO with. allocation of Rs 5 billion. Additionally, about Rs 5 billion were allocated to Information Technology related projects of various other ministries, organizations which included the Higher Education Commission, Interior Division, Law and Justice. Division, Finance Division, Defence Division, Establishment Division and Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.

Tania Aidrus, the Google executive who has resigned from her job to join Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Digital Pakistan Initiative, has said digitalisation would revolutionise Pakistan.

Some of the major projects exe cuted during the period under report financial year 2020-21 in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector are National Freelance Imparted Training Programme all over Pakistan, Feasibility Study for” Establishment of National Spatial Data Infra- structure (NSDI)”, Establishment of National Centres of Excellence in Cyber Security, GIS and Space Application, Big Data and Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security and Robotics, and Automation, Geospatial Monitoring of Major and High Value Crops and Cadastral Mapping which would bring accuracy and correctness to the land records in the urban centres by conducting comprehensive survey using technology.

As for as current financial year 2021-22 is concerned an allocation of Rs 13.0 billion for IT/telecom and Rs 7.0 billion for space related projects has been made by the Federal Govern

ment under PSDP for financial year 2021-22 attaching high priority to the projects that will add to the develop- ment of knowledge-based economy. A sizeable allocation has been made for various projects such as the establish- ment of Sino-Pak Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Certification of IT Professionals, Blended Virtual Education and enhancing cellular coverage for Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir.

Work on satellite navigation system and allied space facilities has also been planned to be started during the next year.

In addition, multi-stakeholder innovative projectssuch as Develop- ment of Computer Controlled Ferme nters and Production of Bio-Chemicals & Bio-products would act as harbinger initiatives for the agricul ture sector, pharmaceutical/drug production, health and nutrition sector thus helping in building an indigenous base for high-tech indus trial manufacturing facilities.

Digitalization and improved usage of automated systems in the govern ment departments will ensure better. delivery of public services in health sector, education, agriculture, and other sectors of the national economy. Furthermore, introduction of crime analytics and smart policing as well as smart office concepts in the federal government departments would help in creating ‘future of work environ ment.

Other initiatives, such as, Raising Smart Capital through private trading market and establishment of 25 STPs Phase 1 with an allocation of Rs 605 million would also provide impetus for increasing IT exports, further boost the entrepreneurial ecosystem as well attracting foreign investors and big companies to set up facilities and invest in the IT sector. Thus, the official sources maintained, these initiatives together will lay a strong foundation for sustainable growth in the coming years I terms of increased software exports, job creation and contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Nimra Ali Afraaz

In the mid-1970s, pioneering academics made the first systematic analysis of women’s relationship to and visibility in the mass media and in their ground-breaking study, they used the term ‘symbolic annihilation to describe what they found. Almost 40 years later, most gender and media scholars would suggest that progress has stalled, and there is significant work left to be done, including in relation to mainstream media. Women still feature less frequently than men in news discourse; women journalists and media professionals are often locked out of the more prestigious beats, and their occupation of senior positions within media organizations is still minimal. According to the Global Media Monitoring Report in threats. 2015 women made up only one in four media decision-makers, one in three reporters and one in five experts interviewed.

Around the globe, women journal ists and female media workers face offline and online attacks putting their safety at risk these attacks can range from violence, stigmatization, sexist The role of women in media

revolves around the four axes of media: media freedom, media plural- ism, media independence, and media safety. Women in media do not face the same difficulties and threats as men, but also experience gender inequali ties, safety issues, or under representation.

Women in media:

Women in media are individuals who icipate in media. Media are the collective communication outlets or tools used to store and deliver information or data.

Safety of women journalists:

Safety of journalists is the ability for journalists and media professionals to receive, produce and share informa- tion without facing physical or moral

hate speech, trolling, physical assault, rape to even murder. In addition to being targeted on the basis of their work as journalists, they are also the targets of gender-based violence.

Studies have shown that female journalists are targeted online signifi cantly more than their male col leagues, and that the threats they face are highly sexualized, focused on their physical features, ethnicity, or cultural background, rather than on the content of their work. As a result, these threats tend to silence women journal ists’ voices and to deplete freedom of speech by interrupting valuable investigative journalist work. They also distort the media landscape by threatening diversity and perpetuat ing inequalities both in newsrooms and in societies.

A 2014 global survey of nearly 1,000 journalists, initiated by the International News Safety Institute (INSI) in partnership with the International Women’s Medial Foundation (IWMF) and with the support of UNESCO, found that nearly two-thirds of women who took part in the survey had experienced intimidation, threats or abuse in the workplace.

In the period from 2012 through 2016, UNESCO’s Director-General denounced the killing of 38 women journalists, representing 7 per cent of all journalists killed. The percentage of journalists killed who are women is significantly lower than their overall representation in the media. workforce. This large gender gap is likely partly the result of the persistent under-representation of women reporting from war-zones or insurgen cies or on topics such as politics and crime.

The Guardian surveyed the 70 million comments recorded on its website between 1999 and 2016 (only 22,000 of which were recorded before 2006). Of these comments, approxi mately 1.4 million (approximately two per cent) were blocked for abusive or disruptive behavior. Of the 10 staff journalists who received the highest levels of abuse and ‘dismissive troll ing’, eight were women.

The INSI and IWMF survey found that more than 25 per cent of ‘verbal, written and/or physical intimidation their work valued to the same extent as including threats to family and friends’ took place online.

Media freedom:

men. In many newsrooms around the world, there continues to be a culture that makes it difficult for women to progress. In such workplaces, harass- Media freedom is the freedom to ment is common, and a lack of moni- participate in media, the rights of toring means that even with gender expression, and access to and produc- equality policies in place, they are tion of media content. These are all often ineffective in challenging

only by considering their gender Under-representation of women:

issues that can be fully understood gender discrimination. equality dimensions as they often overlap, and they have been com pounded by the growing complexity equality with men, nor do they have

A related challenge has been the absence of women’s voices as an issue of the digital sphere. Across all these in media freedom, including in issues, women do not enjoy full internet governance policy-making more generally. This ongoing issue appears to have stagnated in recent

years. The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Dynamic Coalition on Gender and Internet Governance, which pushes for recognition of the gendered issues relating to internet governance, reports that although women’s participation at the 2015 IGF reached close to parity, women were still underrepresented in discussion and debates: only 37 per cent of panelists were women, a decline from 40 per cent the previous year.

In organizations, such as the Internet Association for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), senior leadership positions remain largely dominated by men. In 2017, ICANN’s board of directors consisted of four women and 16 men. Minimizing the divide between the number of women and men in senior decision-making roles in relation to internet gover- nance is an important step to ensuring that gender-based issues relating to access, privacy and security are prioritized.

International recognition:

The existence of problems regard- ing gender and media pluralism has inequality. also been recognized by regional and international organizations and agencies over several decades. In 2010, UNESCO developed a comprehensive set of Gender-Sensitive Indicators for Media, aimed at encouraging media organizations to benchmark them- selves against equality criteria. In 2013, the Council of the European Parliament adopted the recommenda- tion made by the European Institute for Gender Equality, that the media industry should adopt and implement gender equality indicators relating to

women in decision-making, gender equality policies and women boards.132) on

During the 60th session of the Commission on the Status of Women in 2016, United Nations (UN) Women launched a new partnership with major media organizations to draw attention to and act on the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, which aims to eradicate all forms of

Many feminist media scholars have argued that what we see in front of the camera is determined to some extent issues. by who is behind the camera and there is some reason to believe that more women in the newsroom would produce news that is more diverse. Several studies, including the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), show that women journalists are more likely to source women in their stories than men, leading to more balanced reporting which is better able to reflect the views of more and diverse commu-

nities.

According to Sarah Macharia, even if more women appear in media, there may be limited impact on the entrenched biases and stereotypes present in media content. This can promote narrow gender roles that limit the choices and options available to everyone. This is why many actors. continue to encourage all media workers to become more gender sensitive through training and inter nal policies that monitor coverage and promote greater awareness of gender

A number of formal and informal networks of women media profession als also support women in the media. One of the oldest is the Alliance for Women in Media (AWM), originally established in 1951 as American Women in Radio and television, which supports women across all media to expand their networks, participate in training and professional develop ment and celebrate their talents.