Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile and the World Association of Women Journalists and Writers hold a discussion on Journalism and Democracy

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile and the World Association of Women Journalists and Writers (Ammepe World) developed the conversation "Journalism and Democracy: Building the Future", with the aim of exploring the complexities and synergies between journalism and democracy in the current context, where factors such as globalization, digitization and geopolitical changes influence the building of communities and the strengthening of democracy.

The meeting included presentations by Foreign Minister Gloria de la Fuente, the judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, María Teresa Infante, and the President of the World Association of Women Journalists and Writers, Elia Simeone, who spoke about the challenges of democracy from the perspective of the State, journalism and international law in a world of change. The event was moderated by journalist Claudia Scherman, former president of the Association of Market and Public Opinion Researchers of Chile, and was attended by prominent journalists, ambassadors and officials representing the diplomatic corps accredited in Chile.

The Chancellor's presentation was entitled "democracy and foreign policy with a gender perspective". In her speech, she referred to the Feminist Foreign Policy promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the aim of establishing gender equity as a cross-cutting theme in the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "It is difficult to imagine democracy in the 21st century without gender equality, because in practice men and women are part of the same political community, so we should have the same possibilities to participate in that community," she said.

In this sense, the Minister explained that Chile's PEF has as priority themes human rights and the strengthening of democracy with a focus on gender equality; the promotion of the eradication and elimination of gender violence; the empowerment and greater representation of women; the women, peace and security agenda; trade and gender; climate change and gender; digital agenda, science, technology and innovation; and the promotion of a comprehensive care system.

For her part, the president of Ammpe World, Elia Simeone, pointed out that "Democracy is under attack, according to many authors, and it is necessary to safeguard, more than ever, freedom of expression and freedom of the press. We journalists must, as the writer and journalist Rosa Montero says, go out into the streets to understand what people are living, suffering, to understand where the road turns, where the corner of democracy has been forgotten by those who today prefer to vote for authoritarian governments. Our response to this democratic crisis must be good journalism."

The conversation is part of the activities prior to the XXV World Congress of Women Journalists and Writers that AmmpeWorld is organizing and that will take place between September 23 and 27 in Punta Arenas.