As the media eco-system debates measures of accountability, self-regulation, ethical conduct and the connection of these measures to sustainability the issue of gender equality and inclusive newsroom ...
Melanie Walker
Melanie Walker is Media Development Director and Gender Lead at the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).
Melanie is a gender and media development expert with more than 10 years’ experience leading capacity building and advocacy initiatives which place gender equality at their core. As director of Media Development for WAN-IFRA, she oversees the organisation’s media development portfolio, which includes management of a multi-million euro budget to support media in 25 countries around the globe. Melanie is a creator of WAN-IFRA’s sector-leading Women in News programme and the architect of WAN-IFRA’s Gender and Media Freedom Strategy, an ambitious multi-year initiative to promote women’s leadership and voices in the news with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She manages WAN-IFRA’s Media Freedom Board, as well as the Media Freedom Brain Trust, which contributes to WAN-IFRA’s media freedom programmes as trainers, mentors and advisors.
Melanie has previously held various leadership, programme development and social investment strategy positions in North America and Europe, including four years with the Toronto-based Women’s Executive Network, where as Vice President International she led the company’s expansion to its first international market with the launch of WXN Ireland.
