The regulators of the MNRA, of the French Speaking Media Regulatory Authorities Network (REFRAM),  of the African Communication Regulation Authorities Network (ACRAN), of the Ibero-American platform of Audiovisual Regulators (PRAI), of the Platform of West African Economic and Monetary Union Regulators (UEMOA) met on March 15 2018 at the side event on freedom of communication and gender equality organized during the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women, at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York.

Sylvie Pierre-Brossolette, member of the Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel (CSA, France), under the presidency of the MNRA,  presented the Mediterranean network and its work on gender equality.

On this occasion, the media regulators communicated a joint declaration on the equality between women and men in the media in which they confirm their own commitments to gender equality in the implementation of their prerogatives.

The media regulators, considering the intrinsically linked nature of freedom of communication and equality between women and men, the influence of the traditional and new media in any democratic society, and their essential role in the promotion of gender equality in all areas, the role and respective fields of competence of the audiovisual media regulators, call on their respective Member States to:

– put in place and / or ensure the effectiveness of the laws and mechanisms establishing the principle of equality between women and men in and through the media;

– mainstream gender equality in and through the media in the framework of comprehensive and integrated public policies targeting the fight against gender stereotypes and sexism, discrimination and gender-based violence, and the promotion of gender equality;

– ensure the balanced representation of women and men in nomination / election processes for media organizations, including broadcasters and regulators.

The issue of gender and media is, over time, a subject of mobilization and study for the Mediterranean network.

At the 9th Plenary Assembly, the members of the MNRA adopted on 3 October 2008 the declaration on the regulation of audiovisual content.  The members of the MNRA agreed on a set of shared values that they commit themselves to implement. These values include “the respect for the human dignity” (Article 2.1.), including the prohibition of incitement to hatred, violence and discrimination on grounds of gender.

In order to give full effect to the 2008 declaration in this area, the members adopted at the 14th Plenary Assembly on 23 November 2012 the declaration on the fight against gender stereotyping in the audiovisual media . The members of the MNRA commit themselves to develop measurement tools and studies on gender stereotypes and to move towards co-regulation with audiovisual media to combat gender stereotypes in programs.

The Gender and Media Working Group was created on this occasion to implement the objectives of the declaration.

As part of the working group, a first study on gender stereotypes through advertisements in the Mediterranean area was published in March 2016.

A second study on gender equality in sports programs of audiovisual media services  was presented in November 2017

At the 19th Plenary Assembly  held  in Marseille, France, on 16 and 17 November 2017,  the members of the network adopted the proposal of the working group to continue its work with a study on the treatment of information on television related to the gender-based violence that will be carried out in 2018.