- Objectives of the Training Seminar
- to examine the role of communication and communications
in the broadest sense in shaping, maintaining, transforming
and transmitting gender roles in a variety of cultural settings
- to become familiar with the ways in which communications
media affect and reflect gender differences
- to enhance the communication and media literacy of participants
with respect to treatment of gender issues
- to examine the potential of media to address and redress
gender disparity
- Description of the Training Seminar
The seminar will review the evolution of the gender debate
with special attention to current issues in the developed
and developing worlds. The course will examine the role of
communication and communications in the widest sense, in shaping
maintaining, transforming and transmitting gender roles and
relationships in a variety of cultural settings. The seminar
will review the current thinking on the classic definitions
of sex and gender, on gender differences in communicative
competence and gender-differentiated language.
Special attention will be given to treatment of men and masculinity
by the media, communication issues pertaining to women’s rights,
and the potential of ICT to empower women. The seminar will
discuss the potential for strategic positive use of communication
media to influence gender disparity.
A wide variety of reference materials will be used.
Some background materials will be distributed before the seminar.
Discussions will be informal and participatory, with small
group exercises a frequent feature.
Resource persons will be invited from different communication
backgrounds to comment on their experience in dealing with
issues of gender disparities.
- Outline of Topics to be discussed
The sessions described below indicate the minimum material
to be covered. Other sessions may be added depending on the
eventual composition of the group.
Session One/Day One: sex and gender
Review of current thinking on the classic binary definitions
of sex and gender, and more recent gender and development
theories.
Review of current status of the nature/nurture debate.
Why gender and communication, and what do we mean by “communication”.
Session Two/Day One: women, men and language
Discussion of the ways in which language both reflects and
affects gender differences, and plays its part in the construction
of gender.
Current thinking on gender differentiated language and gender
differences in communicative competence
Session Three/Day Two: the power of the media
Discussion of media presentation of gender roles, and current
coverage of gender issues.
How are women represented in management and programming and
does this make a difference to treatment of gender issues.
What do women want from the media: women as media consumer.
Session Four/Day Three: dressed to impress
Communicating gender and other identities through dress, personal
grooming and adornment, and non-verbal expression in different
cultures and at different time periods.
How have mass media exploited this.
Session Five/Day Three and part of Day Four: gender
and ICTs
Discussion on potential of communication technologies to reduce
gender disparity, and the tendency towards “engendering” of
this field of activity
Session Six/Day Four: communication through gender-based
violence
Review of communication of disparities in power through acts
of physical and verbal violence which are relatively formal
or more seemingly random but still sociologically predictable.
Issues of trafficking and of rape as a military strategy will
be reviewed.
The potentials and pitfalls of using indigenous and external
media to address these issues, and the media treatment of
men and women as perpetrators and victims will be discussed.
Session Seven/Day Five : communication in organisations
Discussion of organisations as communication systems and a
review of how gender disparities are communicated in such
systems.
Participants will be asked to conduct an informal gender audit
of their own organisation or place of work.
Session Eight/Day Five: development, communication
and gender
How is communication currently being used in development work
to address gender disparity?
Is there a potential for a more creative and dynamic use of
communication in gender and development work?
The workshop is based on participatory, experiential and
interactive learning methods. Participants will use their
own experiences and expertise while challenging their own
assumptions in the light of existing expertise in gender and
development in the Arab region. Participants will work on
region specific issues and will be supported by the lead facilitator
as well as by resource persons with expertise in gender and
media and gender and ICT.
CRTD will provide post-workshop support and accompaniment
to participants who engage in a process of organisational
change within their organisational framework. This will involve
the development of a gender and communication strategy at
the organisational/institutional level.
- Participants’ Eligibility
Participants are expected to be from the Middle East/Maghreb
region and have knowledge and awareness of gender and development
concepts and issues, have some working experience (or are
concretely planning to work) in this area, and preferably
in a position to integrate gained experiences and knowledge
in their organisations within a process of organisational
change.
In addition, participants should have some communication role
integrated within their current organisational responsibilities.
The instruction language is English with Arabic translation.
It is essential that participants are adequately fluent and
literate in either Arabic or English
- Application procedure and sponsorship
You are kindly requested to submit your application form
for registration to CRTD by 12 April 2004. A final selection
of candidates eligible for the training course will be made
soon after the deadline of submission. Selected candidates
will receive an approval letter and a financial statement
to be filled out by their sponsoring agency.
As soon as to CRTD receives the filled and signed financial
statement you will receive a confirmation of your admission.
Further information related to your participation will be
communicated to you immediately after.
You may apply online or you can fax the application form
to :
+ 961-1-611079 or + 961-1-612924 to the attention of the CRTD
training coordinator:
info@crtd.org
The training will proceed unless the required number of participants
is not reached.
All participants in this course and their accompanying dependants
must have health, accident and third party insurance as soon
as they arrive in Lebanon. Participants are kindly requested
to ensure that they have appropriate insurance coverage.
The training will take place at the Cavalier Hotel in Beirut/Lebanon.
Please contact us if you wish CRTD to organise your hotel
booking or assist you in any other matter.
- Tuition Fee and Other Estimated Costs
The tuition fee for this training seminar is Euro 1,250 (One
Thousand and Two Hundred and Fifty Euros). This includes costs
of required literature and stationery as well as the course
reader and a mini resources library for participants. The
tuition fee does not cover any other costs.
Participants travelling to Lebanon will need to cover their
own travel and other costs independently. The other costs
for participation are estimated at approximately the following:
- Accommodation at the Cavalier Hotel:
- Single room $ 45 + VAT
- Double room: $ 55 + VAT
- Daily expenses (2 meals): $ 25 to $ 30 per day / per person
. However, Please note that a full 3 course meal at the
Cavalier Hotel is available for $ 10.-
- Single entrance visa to Lebanon: $ 45
CRTD is not able to offer fellowships. Interested candidates
may apply for financial assistance to a number of sources
including their own employers and governments. Candidates
may also investigate possibilities of financial assistance
from the United Nations and its specialised agencies (UNDP,
UNFPA, etc…) and other international agencies such as the
USAID, OXFAM and Ford Foundation. Other potential sources
of assistance which may be approached through embassies are
the British Council, Development Cooperation Section from
The Netherlands Embassy, SIDA/Sweden, CIDA/Canada, etc…
Candidates are urged to apply for financial support well in
advance of the course.
A single entry visa to Lebanon is issued at the airport
for citizens of Western Europe (except the United Kingdom)
and North America. For all other nationalities, you are kindly
requested to check with the Lebanese consulate in your country.
A Lebanese visa may need more than 1 week to be issued. Accepted
applicants who have submitted a filled and signed financial
statement will be issued an invitation letter addressed to
the Lebanese Embassy in their countries which will allow them
to apply for an entrance visa to Lebanon.
May is the spring season in Lebanon. Expect the weather to
be mild and occasionally warm. Cotton and warm and clothing
are recommended.
The currency in Lebanon is the Lebanese Pound. 1 US Dollar
is equivalent to approximately 1500 Lebanese Pounds.
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