The GAB media center is the media department of AFE MENA. It was conceived to bring together media experts and advocates for gender and body rights to participate in media related activities in Lebanon and the MENA region benefiting directly journalists, TV anchors, humanitarian workers, activists and indirectly the general public.
After realizing the necessity of working closely with media organizations, journalists and TV producers to improve and increase the coverage of gender and sexuality issues in the media, GAB media center was founded in 2016 and aims at building bridges and alliances between civil society activists and organizations and media organizations and journalists around gender and sexuality issues. Through its numerous activities, GAB media center tries to build an environment of awareness, understanding and trust between gender activists and the media.
GAB media center provides training for journalists on gender and sexuality coverage, including LGBTIQ+ issues, gender-based violence and ethical reporting. It also provides media trainings for gender activists to improve the representation of gender and sexuality causes in the media.
Another activity led by GAB media center is the media monitoring. GAB media center monitors the media from a gender perspective to highlight the good and bad practices of the media when covering sensitive gender issues.
Through GAB media center, several partnerships were put in place with different media organizations in Lebanon and the MENA region. GAB serves as a consultant for many journalists, producers and media organizations on the coverage of gender and sexuality in media content.
GAB also created a database of journalistic resources around gender and bodily rights in alignment with local, regional and global policies, priorities and best practice. The overall delivery, viability and value of center approach is demonstrated through communications activities, channels and messages that raise awareness among all key audiences through these communications objectives:
- To build notoriety and visibility for outspoken gender activists who participated in media trainings at the center.
- To enhance gender and bodily rights discourse in the media.
- To support journalists and producers through sharing knowledge, building capacities and monitoring media activities.