Media Competition on Men's roles and Family Health in Tanzania

Thank you Adam J. Foya (marafikiwavitabu.wordpress.com) for sharing this announcement.

MEDIA COMPETITION ON GENDER AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IN TANZANIA

“A media-led campaign to sensitize society and stimulate discussion on gender roles and reproductive health”

BACKGROUND
The Association of Journalists Against AIDS in Tanzania (AJAAT) in collaboration with the EngenderHealth/CHAMPION project which is funded by the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through USAID, is hereby announcing a two and half month-long media competition on MEN’S ROLES AND FAMILY HEALTH IN TANZANIA.

THE COMPETITION

• The aim of the competition is to mobilize journalists, photojournalists and cartoonists from print and feature writers/
• producers to presenters from the electronic media to critically analyze and write or produce well thought out
• articles or packages that highlight or examine the relationships between men’s roles and family health—especially
• reproductive health. Reproductive health in this case will include but is not limited to HIV/AIDS, Maternal and
• Child Health, Family Planning and Gender-Based Violence. The competition is expected to focus on the roles that
• men have played or can/should play in promoting gender equity and overall family and community health.

Questions that may guide the cartoonists, writers, editors and producers are:

1. How has the changing economic and 1. socio-cultural environment affected the relationships between men and women? In what ways? How have these changes affected the role that men play in the promotion of health in their families? How have the above changes affected the use of health services, or promotion of family health?
2. Have gender roles and the associated power dynamics changed as a result of the changing and often challenging economic environment? How has this evolution of gender roles affected HIV infection/prevention? Do men and women share decision-making regarding family health issues? For example, do men and women share decision-making about the size of their families? About the use of family planning methods? What impact do these changes have on the incidence violence within the home?
3. How have societal expectations of men’s behavior influenced Tanzania’s HIV epidemic?
4. How have men participated in the promotion of family health? How can men take up more active roles in the promotion of the health of their families and communities? Why would this action be important? What impact would it have?
5. How can spouses/families/the community help men to take up more prominent roles as facilitators or promoters of good health/healthier lifestyles especially with regard to reproductive health?
6. How can communities tackle non-equitable gender and social norms that contribute to higher HIV infection risk? How can these communities support or nurture more gender-equitable behavior?
   

It is our belief that this competition will stimulate individual reflection and communal discussion about men’s roles in Tanzania today, and raise awareness about men’s potential to reduce the vulnerability of men, women, and children to HIV/AIDS and other adverse reproductive health outcomes.

DURATION OF THE COMPETITION:
The competition will run for two and half months starting September 3rd – November 18th, 2009

EXPECTED OUTPUTS:
It is expected that this exciting competition will yield the following outputs;
i. TV and Radio programmes, commentaries, discussions and interviews
ii. Stimulating and educative cartoons (or well-captioned pictures) in print media,
iii. Feature articles, Opinions and commentaries in print media

ELIGIBILITY AND CRITERIA:
The competition will be open to ALL practicing local print journalists/columnists, TV and radio programmers/ producers, TV camera persons, cartoonists and print media photographers. Only Tanzanian media organizations will be eligible, and journalists sending in their entries must be Tanzanian by nationality or foreigners writing for a Tanzanian media house.

Additional eligibilities and criterions of participation are as follows:

1. Journalists wishing to participate in the competition must be currently living and practicing in Tanzania
2. The entries of features/news and programmes or picture stories/cartoons must only focus on the issues
3. raised in the section above (captioned: THE COMPETITION)
4. The entries must demonstrate originality, and not be copied from other publications
5. They must have been published or aired within the two and half month competition period that is September 3rd – November 18th , 2009
6. They must be published in newspapers, or aired on TV or radio
7. They can be published or aired in either English or Kiswahili
8. Newspaper clippings and/or recordings of TV or radio programmes on CD clearly indicating the media house, day/date of publication/airing and contributor(s) must be forwarded to AJAAT. Only original clippings or items will be accepted
9. Deadline for submission will be November 25th, 2009
   

WINNING CRITERIA:
a. Critical analysis of the role of men in family and community health—especially HIV infection/ prevention family planning, maternal health and gender-based violence.
b. “Grassroots reporting” – in other words, that the issues addressed are substantial concerns at the community level and that local voices are given prominence in the articles or pieces.
c. Raising of novel issues which were not discussed or told before in the media or other HIV/AIDS forums.
d. Originality in identification of issues and their treatment.
e. Coherence in the style of writing, and good and effective argumentation that is supported with evidence
f. Quality of TV and Radio programmes in terms of footages, voice casts and people represented, with proper analysis and use of non-traditional sources of information
g. Quality photographs or cartoons that are thought provoking and/or which tell stories and avoid use of familiar public figures

THE AWARDS:
Certificates and cash prizes will be presented to the winners who will have been selected by a comprehensive panel of judges.

Distribution of winners awards will be as follows:-

• Print media/newspapers – features/commentaries/articles
• Print media/newspapers – cartoons
• Print media/newspapers – photographic representations
• Radio
• TV
  

Individual media houses themselves will also be recognized/awarded for supporting the representations of their writers/cartoonists/photojournalists/TV or Radio presenters.

Ms Jovina Bujulu
Idara ya Habari MAELEZO
Mtaa wa Samora
DAR ES SALAAM

Coordinator
AJAAT/CHAMPION Media Writing Competition
P O Box 33237
0786 653712, Email: ajaatz@yahoo.co.uk
DAR ES SALAAM

AJAAT Office
Bahari Motors Building, Plot No.43
Kameroun Road, Kijitonyama
Tel. 0786 300219
DAR ES SALAAM