The objectives of the National Gender and Media Action Planning Workshops were to: • Present and engage with the research findings of the national reports of the GMBS • Get commitments to specific action by national stakeholders • Forge and strengthen networks and alliances at the national level • Initiate the process of advocacy around the national findings • Devise national action plans with key outputs and areas of responsibility to be reported on at a regional Gender and Media Summit in 2004. Key Players The following were identified • Media Houses ( decision makers and gate keepers) • Gender and Women’s organizations • Media Women’s organizations • Media regulatory bodies (Ministries of Information, Media councils, Media Advisory bodies) • MISA National Chapters • Gender Links representatives • Media training institutions • SADC GEM networking representatives • Strategic individual researchers/activists and lobbyists Expected Outputs The following outputs were expected: • Clear understanding and ownership of the research findings at national level • Clear outline of areas of potential intervention by stakeholders at national level • Concrete national plans of action for advocacy initiatives and activities with time frames that will be reported on at a Gender Summit in 2004 (that is being planned and organized by MISA and Gender Links). The Summit will act as an accountability forum for the national action plans and will also be used as an opportunity for sharing best practices on mainstreaming gender in the media • Clear points of inter-linkages between national partners, Gender Links and MISA In all the workshops that took pla ce, MISA Chapters played a leading role as they organized for the workshops and as reflected in the national action plans drawn up, the Chapters are to engage in networking activities with the various organizations that took part in the workshops. These workshops also created the opportunity for Editors whose papers and stations were monitored, to respond to the findings, and for more dialogue and in-depth discussions on how to achieve a more balanced and diverse representation of women in the media, as well as how to increase women’s access to expression in the media. A detailed report of the Chapter workshops is available electronically but efforts are being made to have a user- friendly hard copy available that can be used in gender training sessions. 3.2 Summary of regional activities in national action plans MISA Annual Report (April 2003 – March 2004) 14