Since 2008, UNFPA Lebanon has been collaborating with GBV actors in Lebanon to support national efforts for ensuring appropriate prevention of and response to GBV. Given the vital role of media in fighting GBV and building on findings and recommendations of four national studies on GBV completed in 2010, notably the “Assessment of Media Coverage of GBV issues in Lebanon”, UNFPA partnered with the Journalism Training Program at the American University of Beirut for organizing a training workshop in November targeting local media personnel from all types of media (print, electronic, audio-visual). The workshop aimed at enhancing the participants’ capacities to acquire the know-how, skills and approaches for investigating, analyzing and processing socially complex and taboo issues such as GBV from a human rights perspective.

 Media personnel who attended the 5-day workshop acquired essential multi-sectoral and multi-dimensional knowledge pertaining to GBV, in addition to creative and advanced reporting/journalism techniques and skills with hands-on exercises to effectively report on GBV issues. Participants’ feedback was very encouraging. As Bassima Atwi, reporter at Al Moustaqbal newspaper puts it, the training has made her “aware of many new aspects for addressing the issue of GBV in a constructive and professional way from legal, health, and economic perspectives”. The training also succeeded in stirring enthusiasm and commitment as expressed by Maytham Kassir, reporter at As Safir newspaper: “I want to work so that one day I am satisfied, not only because the law protecting women from family violence is enacted, but because I would have personally participated in ending GBV in Lebanon”.

 In addition, and based on the recommendations of the “Assessment of Media Coverage of GBV issues in Lebanon”, UNFPA produced a policy brief, in an effort to provide stakeholders with ready-to implement actions for fully empowering the media to play its role in the fight against GBV.