'Ensure social justice to curb violence against women’

They also called for use of information as a tool to challenge the repression of women.

The Mass-line Media Centre (MMC) organised the discussion on 'Evaluation of the utility of the MMC information cell on women and children affairs'.

Information plays a major role in containing violence, Dr Hamida Hossain said, adding that the newspapers are carrying the reports of repression, but they do not highlight the discrimination against women.

The newspapers should also focus on positive developments in the life of women that took place in the last 34 years, she added.

Prof Ahmed Kamal of Dhaka University said information cells can project the trend of development in the society and they also can provide information for research activities.

Although such information cells help the mass media in reporting on women and children's affairs, the media itself should collect necessary information, said Shaheen Anam, team leader of Manusher Jonno.

The dependency of the media on information cells is totally unacceptable, she added.

Kamrul Hasan Monju, executive director of MMC, said the MMC cell collects information regarding women and children's affairs from 12 national dailies and 198 local dailies and then provides the data to the media and different organisations.

Programme Officer of MMC information cell Shahab Uddin Nipu presented a keynote paper.