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One of the workshops at the Women in the Communications Industries conference held in January.
The conference, attended by 300 women and a handful of men who work in the communications industries-newspapers, magazines, books, radio, television, the cinema and theatre -was organised by an ad hoc group of women and men in the media unions dissatisfied with the latter's failure to deal with women's situation in a determined way.
Two of the workshops at the conference-books and entertainment-decided to call separate meetings at the befinning of February for all women who work in these sectors; and one of the main decisions of the conference was that women's caucuses or committees should be formed at all levels of the unions, and especially at the place of work.
While the National Union of Journalists and the Association of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Technicians (ACTT) have established women's conmittees, neither is rooted in the rank-and-file. They consequently find themselves isolated and powericss if they seek to challenge the union bureaucracy.
In the theatre, for example, there are comparatively few parts for women because plays reflect discrimination against women in bourgeois society at large.
are virtually excluded from technical jobs, and many avenues of promotion are all but closed to them. Instead they find themselves doing jobs which require secretarial-type qualifications.
### DISCRIMINATION
In press and publishing, women are again generally excluded from senior positions, and this is reflected at all levels of employment. A trainee journalist on a local newspaper explained how it is always the male reporters who are given hard news stories to cover, while she is sent out to report on baby shows.
The conference unanimously adopted the Working Women's Charter as a basis of the demands that should be raised in the labour movement, Numerous examples were given of dis crimination against women media workers.
In television and the cinema, women press.
W.8. bringing together the economic and social issues without which even nominal equality at work is ruled out.
### ANTI-SEXIST CODE
But most importantly, the conference adopted in principle a code on the presentation of women by the media. This highlights the ways in which the media reinforce women's oppression and exploitation, and their consistent disregard for women's attempt: to fight on these issues. The adoption and implementation of this code by the media unions will seriously challenge the ability of editors to pursue their conception of the 'freedom of the It was also decided to form an ad hoc committee, to encourage and coordinate the initiatives that will now be taken, and to consider the problems involved in implementing the anti-sexist code.
Further information about the ad hoc committee, and copies of conference documents (price 40p) from: Penny Brown, 44a Abingdon Road, London, Val Jones
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The health care of women in North
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Photo: Chris Davies (Report) day, January 18,
Both the situation of women media workers and the image of women in the media were challenged by a conference held in London on Satur