UNI joins Women with the Wave Forum in Seoul to promote diversity and inclusion in media

Collective bargaining agreements are key to achieving gender equality and inclusion in broadcasting, said Hanna Harvima, UNI Global Union’s Policy Director for Media, Entertainment & Arts at the 12th Women with the Wave Forum in Seoul, South Korea on 29 October 2023. This annual event, which takes place in conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) general assembly, serves as a platform to promote diversity and inclusion in media organizations in the region.

The Women with the Wave initiative itself was born in Seoul 12 years ago and has since travelled across Asia. The theme of this year’s forum, “Broadcasting for all: Diversity and inclusion in the media,” promoted action to better reflect and serve the needs of women and diverse audiences in the region.

Speaking at the forum Harvima said:

“Collective agreements are a crucial tool to improve working conditions and to promote gender issues at the workplace.” She added that without the active participation of women in the bargaining process and bargaining committees, the workplace challenges women face will remain unaddressed. She further stressed the need for a gender-responsive approach to collective bargaining to ensure that women’s concerns are effectively integrated into workplace policies.

Highlighting the importance of the collaboration between UNI and ABU on gender equality and diversity, Harvima said: “Working together will lead to a working environment that is equal, diverse, safe, and that allows the same opportunities to all workers.”  The UNI/ABU partnership represents an important step toward achieving a more equitable and inclusive media industry.

In a significant milestone, all participants including UNI Media, Entertainment & Arts, adopted the Seoul Declaration. Initiated by the Korea Broadcasting Service (KBS), it signals the signatories’ commitment to advancing diversity, inclusion, and gender equality in the media and broadcasting sector.