TV Production Fund Highlights Gender Issues in Middle East

Gender issues are receiving more attention on television in the Middle East, thanks to additional funding provided to the IREX-administered, US State Department-funded Middle East and North Africa Media Development Initiatives Alliance (MENA MEDIA) program to expand its TV production grants. The new and groundbreaking programming is tackling sensitive topics such as sex workers, female virginity, and suicide.

Since its inception in 2006, the TV Production Fund program has become a significant tool in the support of women and women’s issues in the Middle East and North Africa. “What is unique about this project is that it fills an important gap between the immediate but superficial short reports and the more in-depth documentaries that take years to produce,” said Daoud Kuttab, director of Community Media Network, IREX’s partner on this program. "By focusing on stories that you don't see on your nightly news, viewers are given a chance to see a human side of Arabs that they don’t normally see.”

The program has also become instrumental in helping to develop and support the vital role of documentarians. It has helped advance the future of independent media and free speech as an important and vital component of democracy-building in the region.

Three TV Production Fund-sponsored documentaries—“In the Night,” by The Pioneers Production Company; “Private File,” by Phoenix Technical and Cultural Productions; and “Suicide In Yemen,” by Women’s Journalists without Chains—received wide public acclaim.

“In the Night” explores the rising number of women sex workers in Jordan. The increased numbers are partly due to a rise in poverty levels over the last decade. These women face numerous social, religious, and medical risks on a daily basis. By following the stories of two women in the cities of Zarka and Russeifeh, the film sheds light on their lives and the everyday problems they face. The film analyzes the conditions that led the women to become sex workers as well as how they survive in the face of negative public opinion and the shame incurred from the rest of society. Also documented in the film are various assistance programs, both nongovernmental and government-sponsored, and their impact. “In the Night” will be screened from from April to June 2009 at the Fawanees and Caravan film festivals in Jordan. In addition, it was screened at Al Kasaba International Film Festival in Ramallah in November 2008.

“Private File,” produced by Phoenix Technical and Cultural Productions, examines the social issues surrounding female virginity and the concept of female honor in Egyptian society. The film explores the importance placed on female virginity, whereas male virginity is rarely considered an issue. It also explores the double standards for what is considered honorable behavior for men and women. Female honor is considered to be synonymous with virginity and sexual conduct, while male honor is defined by a man’s professional skills, business conduct, or capacity for hard work. The film provides expert opinions and personal stories. “Private File” was screened in Egypt at the Creativity Centre, Opera House, and the Press Syndicate. The documentary was also featured in December 2008 at the International Film Festival in Dubai and the Carthage festival in Tunisia.

“Suicide in Yemen,” produced by Women’s Journalists without Chains, addresses the significant rise in suicides since 1990 in four districts in Yemen. Suicide is not openly discussed in Yemen, likely due to the fact that Islam forbids it The film is among the first media projects to address this issue in an analytical way. It breaks the silence on the issue and examines suicide’s causes and its effects on Yemeni society. The stories in the film focus on families around the country who have been impacted by suicide. The film follows the struggles of the victim’s families as they become further traumatized by police reports, religious interpretations, and sociological and psychological analyses of their society. Finally, the documentarians present possible solutions to help end the problem and prevent future tragedies. The film was screened publicly in Yemen to intellectuals, journalists, researchers, sociologists, psychologists, and religious scholars. The screening was covered by Yemen TV, Al-Arabiyya, and BBC Arabic TV. The film was also converted to CD for open distribution to local and international organizations, embassies, media outlets, and political representatives to increase awareness and foster debate to help find solutions. The film is also being reviewed for possible airing on Al-Jazeera.

Women Journalists without Chains is a nongovernmental organization that strives to build and support rights and freedoms, primarily the freedoms of opinion and expression as well as democracy, by training and preparing various socially active groups (primarily reporters) to be become efficient and more capable.

This project is funded through the US Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). MEPI supports efforts to expand political participation, strengthen civil society and the rule of law, empower women and youth, create educational opportunities, and foster economic reform throughout the Middle East and North Africa.