their role in defending media freedom and freedom of expression. As a result of MISA’s persistent campaigning and lobbying, the governments of Lesotho, Namibia, Mozambique and Zambia invited the organisation to participate in the media law reform processes underway in those countries. Gender and the media While gender and HIV and AIDS continue to be on the MISA agenda, they are becoming part of mainstream media discourse in the region. During the year under review a study was conducted on the media coverage of gender, the results of which clearly show weaknesses, especially in terms of gender-based violence reporting. Newsroom visits were subsequently undertaken to create opportunities to discuss and examine the reporting on gender and HIV and AIDS. The MISA Regional Secretariat leads by example when it comes to gender equality: management, for example, comprises more women than men. A challenge persists in some chapters to balance the employment of men and women. Overall, there are 35 women and 37 men employed within the MISA family. Only one chapter has no female employees. Internal development Internally, MISA regional has implemented a new performance management system, which is being rolled out to the national chapters. The reporting and management structures, and harmonisation between the Regional Secretariat and chapters are being finalised through an organisational development process. This process will be adopted at the MISA Annual General Meeting in September 2008. Human resource capacity has been increased at the Regional Secretariat with the filling of most vacancies. This has opened up opportunities for mobility within the organisation. The former national director of MISA Zimbabwe has been appointed Programme Specialist: Media Monitoring and Research, while a programme officer was promoted to the position of Programme Specialist: Freedom of Expression and Media Law Policy. Beyond 2008 MISA remains committed to its vision of a southern Africa with a free, independent, diverse and pluralistic media; a region where members of society, individually and collectively, are free to express themselves through the media of their choice; and where access to information is a basic fundamental right. This vision will be achieved through lobbying and advocating for an environment with conducive media legislation. Kaitira Kandjii MISA Regional Director Annual Report 2008 9