The meeting, chaired by Committee President Branka Gabriela Vojvodić, director of Hina, included representatives from Greek, Portuguese, and Albanian news agencies: Sofia Papadopoulou (APE-MPE), Monica Cabral Alves (LUSA), and Vallbona Zhupa (ATA). Also in attendance was Majda Tafra, Chair of Hina's Steering Board.
The Committee plans to recommend that all member agencies conduct a survey assessing their current status on equality, diversity, and inclusion of women and vulnerable groups.
Discussions highlighted the need for stronger representation of these groups in executive bodies and for cultural and other diversities to be more visible within the organisation.
The Committee is preparing a handbook to be distributed to all EANA members. They will also request that updates on the Committee's work be included in EANA's newsletter and plan to organise workshops addressing these issues.
The Committee will meet quarterly and collaborate with other EANA committees.
Vojvodić said the Committee intended to be very active. "This committee will not just exist as words on paper but will serve as a persistent nudge to EANA's governing bodies, which remain predominantly male," she said.
Monica Cabral Alves expressed satisfaction with the meeting held in Zagreb, highlighting its importance. "We are determined to implement measures that will guide EANA and its agencies in this critical area," she said.
Sofia Papadopoulou underlined the need to address gender imbalance in leadership roles and to enhance efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. "One of our key objectives is to encourage young people from marginalised groups to enter journalism," she said.
Valbona Zhupa emphasised the importance of a concrete action plan with measurable goals for all member agencies. Such efforts should ultimately result in significant progress for news agencies, she added.