Initiated by the Sol Plaatje Institute (SPI) and Gender Links (GL), the Media Action Plan (MAP) Gender, HIV and AIDS, and Media Awards (2008) aim to identify and recognise progressive institutional practice in the media related to gender and HIV and AIDS in Southern Africa. The Award recognises the development and implementation of gender and HIV and AIDS policies by media, which are designed to make a difference in the workplace and in the coverage of these issues by media houses. There are two award categories:

• HIV and AIDS Institutional Excellence Award
• Gender Institutional Excellence Award

The award will include prize money and a floating trophy for the winner and runner up for both the Gender and HIV and AIDS categories. It will also include an all expenses paid trip to Johannesburg, South Africa to receive the awards and participate at the GEMSA Summit in August 2008. The overall winning media house for each category will receive a fully paid in-house training course from a reputable regional training institution and regional trainer on HIV and AIDS and Gender.

The awards are part of MAP, a multi-sector initiative led by the Southern African Editor’s Forum (SAEF) to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS in newsrooms and improve coverage of the pandemic and its gender dimensions. GL leads the policy arm of MAP, which aims to ensure that 80% of newsrooms in the region have HIV and AIDS and gender policies by the end of 2008.

Click here for more information about the Summit and the Award.

Participation and entries are invited from media houses (print, radio, and television) from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region that are part of the Media Action Plan (MAP) on HIV and AIDS and Gender or have independently developed their own HIV and AIDS and gender policies and are in the process of implementing such policies.

Applicants should submit a typed entry form in MS WORD of not more than six pages responding to the questions under each one of the criteria for the award being entered. The entry must be accompanied by:

• copies of the policies;
• copies of the codes or guidelines with which these policies have been cross referenced;
• at least three samples of media coverage demonstrating how coverage has been affected as a result of the policies; and
• any visual material, for example photographs, that the media house might wish to include.

Digital copies of the applications should be sent by email to map@genderlinks.org.za and two hard copies of the submission and accompanying documents should be sent to the contact details below, or to one of the country offices responsible for collecting submissions.

Deadline for submission: June 20 2008

Click here to download the application form in Word format, and for a list of country offices that will be collecting submissions.