WAM! It Yourself Events Planned Locally, Globally to Promote Gender Justice in Media

March 16, 2011 (Cambridge, MA, USA) – Women make up half the world, but our voices and stories are barely represented by the mass media. Women, Action & The Media (WAM!), a non-profit based in Cambridge, MA, is doing something to change that with the second annual WAM! It Yourself, a decentralized conference promoting gender justice in media, from March 20 to March 27. This year’s program includes 10 events in seven cities worldwide as well as online.

WAM! It Yourself features a wide range of events over the course of eight days, planned by local volunteers in cities around the world. Boston will host a Women’s Film Festival on Saturday, March 26th. Nairobi will be teaching advocates for girls and women how to get their stories to break through into the media narrative. New York City is presenting a day-long conference for women in journalism. Other cities hosting conferences, workshops, panel discussions, happy hours, and more include Chicago, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and Vancouver.

Three other events will take place online, enabling anyone with an internet connection to participate in WAM! It Yourself. Hardy Girls, Healthy Women will host a web conference titled “Girl Activism!: How Girls’ Voices Can and DO Make A Difference”. Deanna Zandt will host two sessions of “Women Write Wikipedia: A How-To Webinar,” directly addressing the recently revealed dearth of women writers on Wikipedia. And Nist.tv is hosting a series titled “Video Women on Women in Video,” with female online video producers answering questions about their work.

Jaclyn Friedman, founder and Executive Director of WAM!, says, “WAM! It Yourself connects people around the world working to build a more just media, while also strengthening ties within local communities. With an international community taking action together, WAM! It Yourself is a step in creating a world where gender equity in media is a given.”

Registration is still open for all of the events. Please visit our website for more details on the events and information on how to get involved.

Contact: Jaclyn Friedman, Executive Director
Women, Action & The Media
Phone: 617-876-5310
Email: wam@womenactionmedia.org