On 4 October 2022, the BaKTI Foundation and Rumpun Perempuan Sultra held a workshop on gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) mainstreaming. They also announced the establishment of a media forum in Kendari City, one of the INKLUSI program work areas. The objective of the media forum is to build collaboration with the mass media in order to better promote positive coverage of inclusivity issues, particularly in relation to women, children, and disability.
Mass media is a key stakeholder for INKLUSI, as it can play a strategic role in raising public support for the rights of marginalised groups. Involving local and national media to support advocacy work on inclusion issues is most effective when collaborations are strong and the media has a good understanding of issues.
“The process of synchronizing our perceptions so that we are on the same page is important so that we can continue to move forward,” said M. Yusran Laitupa, Executive Director of BaKTI Foundation in his opening remarks.
Within INKLUSI, the BaKTI Foundation is focused on knowledge exchange and advocating for the eradication of violence against women, and for the rights of people with disability in Eastern Indonesia.
Husnawati is the Director of Rumpun Perempuan Sultra, one of the BaKTI Foundation’s local partners under INKLUSI. She noted that social inclusion issues, especially gender equality and disability, are still largely go un-noticed in South-east Sulawesi. Therefore, support from the media was needed to disseminate information and knowledge to the public, as well as ensuring Kendari is recognised as an inclusive city.
“We work, collaborate, and foster the same intentions in our work advocating for the rights of women and vulnerable groups, including those with disabilities. Therefore, it’s considered necessary to share information with the public on issues of gender equality, disability, and social inclusion,” said Husnawati.
The media forum was attended by 15 representatives from local media, university media, the journalist alliance, and local government. The media organisations included Radio of the Republic of Indonesia (RRI), Kompas.com (Kendari region), Zona sultra.com, Telisik.id, Pena Sultra, Sultra Demo, Berita Kota, Konasara.com, Student Press of Halu Oleo, Kendari Independent Journalists Alliance (Aliansi Jurnalis Independen/AJI), and Kendari’s Department of Communication and Information (Kominfo).
Journalists and organisation representatives shared their experiences in covering issues related to violence against women, children, and persons with disability, facilitated by the Head of Kendari Independent Journalists’ Alliance and the INKLUSI Secretariat team.
Journalists that attended shared that they have experience writing on issues related to violence against women and children, but few had previously covered issues related to disability.
Discussion session in establishing Kendari media forum. | INKLUSI Secretariat’s Documentation 2022
“So far, I have covered issues of violence against women and children which happens frequently. While on disability, I haven’t,” said one of the participants.
The participants also received information on how to write news with a GEDSI perspective. This can involve using disability-friendly words, creating story angles without victim- blaming, and understanding a range of gender issues and intersectionality.
Media forums have already been established in seven of BaKTIs’ work areas in the INKLUSI program: Maros Regency, Parepare City and Tana Toraja Regency in South Sulawesi Province; East Lombok Regency in West Nusa Tenggara Province; Ambon City in Maluku Province; Kupang Regency in East Nusa Tenggara;, and Kendari City in South-east Sulawesi Province.
This newest media forum is expected to grow and become a strategic partner in the coverage of issues related to GEDSI, and the work of INKLUSI. This will support INKLUSI and partners to advance gender equality, the rights of people with disability, and imrpoved social inclusion in Indonesia.
