DUT Journalism Programme Co-ordinator and Lecturer Maud Blose shone at the recent Southern African Development Community (SADC) Gender Awards ceremony when she scooped an award for incorporating gender-related issues into the DUT journalism curriculum.

Held at the Indaba Hotel in Johannesburg, the event was hosted by Gender Links, a Southern African non-profit organisation that promotes gender equality and justice across the fifteen member states’ regions, in accordance with the provisions of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.

On receiving the Gender in Media Institutions Award, Blose said it came as a huge surprise. “I’m overwhelmingly excited to have won the award. I did not expect to win it considering that I was competing against senior lecturers. Even when my name was announced, I couldn’t believe (it). But people who were there were very supportive,” she said.

Blose attributed her achievement to hard work, dedication and having a good working relationship with her students. She said it was important to raise awareness about gender-related issues among students, specifically through analysing gender representation or misrepresentation in South African media.

She explained that the inequality stereotypes that exist at homes have an impact on the behaviour of students in class. She therefore ensures that there is no gender bias in her class by encouraging students to work together regardless of their gender when they are doing group work or presentations.

“Students need to get to know and respect one another as equals. Through these presentations, I hope that students would become better citizens who not only think of their own gender as superior, but also understand and appreciate that we all need each other in this world and that respect goes a long way,” she said.

Blose added that lecturers should endeavour to raise awareness about gender-related issues everyday because students are bound to encounter such issues in companies.

Having won this award, Blose now has the opportunity to visit any Southern African university that offers gender media studies and practice in order for her to improve the integration of gender in the journalism curriculum.

– Nkosinathi Wanda

Pictured: DUT Journalism Programme Co-ordinator and Lecturer Maud Blose, the proud recipient of the Gender in Media Institutions Award.