Workshop explores use of news sites to promote Yemeni women's rights

Yemeni editors and reporters have attended a forum to discuss how news websites can highlight women's rights in the country.

The two-day workshop, organised by the Yemeni Female Media Forum (YFMF) - in co-operation with the Berlin-based Friedrich Ebert Foundation - brought together more than 30 journalists to look at how the internet could affect established ideas on the role of women - according to IRIN news.

"The growing importance of news websites and their role in Yemen made us turn to the electronic press," said YFMF head Rahma Hujaira.

"We want to make website editors give sufficient space to women's rights - still in its infancy in Yemen - and reform issues.

"We've begun training journalists on the electronic press. This workshop represents the beginning of an attempt to determine the needs of the online press in Yemen, but it will be a long-term project."

Ms Hujaira went on to point out the advantages of the online media, noting in particular its ability to reach readers both inside and outside of the country.

"The readership of the electronic press is broader than that of physical papers," she said.

The internet was first introduced in Yemen in 1996. Since then, the number of local news websites has increased steadily, reaching a total of 15 last year.

However, less than one per cent of the domestic population of 21 million is online and substancial barriers still exist in a country where women were only granted the full right to vote in 1970.

Other topics discussed during last week's workshop in Sanna, Yemen, included the future of the electronic press, intellectual property rights, websites' legal and ethical responsibilities, web security and the promotional potential of news websites.

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