KUALA LUMPUR: Young women are being empowered to become media-savvy advocates for gender-based issues in their fight for equality through a Creating Agents for Change (CAFC) programme.
The media advocacy work of 20 CAFC participants aged between 18 and 30 were showcased at a two-day festival called ReFest: #BreakTheBias, which was held from yesterday in conjunction with International Women’s Day.
The premier video screening at the Grey Box, GMBB, a creative community mall here, featured gender issues in Malaysia such as online sexual gender-based violence, indigenous and minority representation, and child marriages.
The event, which marked the end of the five-month CAFC programme, was attended by activist and writer Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir and US Ambassador to Malaysia Brian McFeeters.
Marina said she believed that trainings from programmes like CAFC is a much needed step towards giving women the tools they would need to make changes in the community.
McFeeters spoke about the importance of uplifting and empowering women as a continuous priority.
The CAFC programme is the brainchild of Lina Tan, founder of 3R Media and women’s rights organisation Empower with the support of the US Embassy in their efforts to address barriers that restrict women’s role in society.
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