Tehran, November 15, 2007 – More than twenty journalists from various media outlets participated in a workshop dedicated to reporting on gender and development issues. The event was organized jointly by Association of Iranian Journalists and UNDP Iran.

The workshop provided the opportunity for the female and male ournalists to familiarize themselves with particular problems facing women journalists in Iran and to analyze the portrayal of women in the media. The participants discussed methods of showing gender equality policy in journalists’ work and exchanged their views, beliefs and experiences about gender issues.

The participants also identified and discussed gender problems in the country. Despite possessing a higher average level of education, women in Iran are underrepresented in legislative and executive bodies and they face discrimination in employment related matters, including promotion.

UNDP international Gender Specialist Ms. Kalyani Menon-Sen (PhD, MPhil) stressed that only after achieving the Gender balance and equal opportunities for both men and women, a society could reach other development goals. She explained why gender problem was mainstreamed throughout all UNDP programs and projects, and what each individual could do to contribute to the achieving of gender equality.