CEDAW/C/PHL/7-8 Engaging the media in gender advocacy 60. The State Party established a Media and Gender Equality Committee (MGEC) in 2012 in line with Section 16 of MCW on the non-discriminatory and nonderogatory portrayal of women in media and film. MGEC produced the Code of Ethics for Media, Gender Equality Guidelines, and Media Guidelines to Protect Women against Discrimination in Media and Film which were launched in March 2013 for government media, self-regulatory bodies, schools of journalism, information and communication, and national federations and associations to make media more gender sensitive while respecting media’s self-regulation. Memorandum Circular No. 48 was issued in 2013 “directing all concerned government agencies to adopt the gender equality guidelines in the development of their respective media policies and implementing programs in order to promote gender mainstreaming. ” 61. Government media institutions are active partners in advocacy against negative portrayal of women in media. A weekly interactive radio program, “Tinig Ng Kababaihan!” (Women’s Voices!), has been on air since May 2009 to raise public awareness on government’s efforts to promote gender equality and uphold women’s human rights, including those guaranteed under CEDAW. IEC materials on anti-VAW related laws have been produced and disseminated through comics, pamphlets, brochures and flyers. Orientation/briefings on the Anti-Violence against Women and their Children Act have been conducted in selected local government units. 62. The State Party, through its regulatory agencies like the Optical Media Board (OMB) and the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has similarly strengthened its effort to fight women and child pornography thro ugh the confiscation of pornographic materials, especially sex videos. MTRCB has suspended television programs deemed to have presented women as sex objects. It recently required major television networks to undergo gender sensitivity seminars. The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) directed its advertising agencies to produce marketing campaigns and promotional products that are gender sensitive and do not portray discrimination against either men or women in text or visual renditions. An agreement between the Education Department and the Federation of Broadcasters of the Philippines, and with the Philippine Association of National Advertisers, focused on jointly monitoring and handling complaints about “undesirable” TV programs and commercials that are harmful to children. Under this agreement, two dialogues were conducted to promote a child-friendly culture, correct the discriminatory portrayal of women and men in certain situations, incorporate valuable information into storylines, scenes and characters of to p-rating television shows, especially those aired nationwide and worldwide through the networks ’ Filipino channels. At the local level, the Quezon City Council passed a resolution providing funds for a yearly Gender and Development (GAD) Award for the Most Gender-Sensitive Film submitted to the Metro Manila Film Festival. 63. A unique advocacy mechanism was the Gender Justice Awards launched in 2003 to recognize gender-sensitive judges and justices from the various courts, including the Sandiganbayan (anti-graft court), and sharia courts, who have rendered gender-sensitive decisions on VAW cases, penned their decisions using gender-fair language, exhibited gender-sensitivity during litigations, and speedily disposed of the cases at hand. Partners in this program were the University of the Philippines Centre for Women’s Studies Foundation Inc. the UNIFEM (now UN Women), Zonta Club, and alternative law groups and women’s groups. The search 16/36 15-03079