Today, for the first time in its 146-year history, The Age has been edited entirely by women.

The United Nations called on the world's media to hand over editorial control to women for this day - the first International Women's Day of the new millennium - and we decided to accept the challenge.

This does not mean the newspaper has been written and produced only by women or that it contains only information about women. All issues are women's issues. Women are interested in politics, in football, in the share market, in human rights, in the environment; we are persuaded that some women are interested in racing cars. Indeed, women are interested in all the news and issues that men are interested in.

However, the fact that it is International Women's Day makes stories about women and issues affecting women particularly newsworthy, which is why you may notice that there are more reports and photographs of women in today's newspaper than is usual. The fact that all editorial decisions today have been made by women does not mean that women are not, every day, editing sections of the newspaper or making editorial decisions at a senior level. They are. But the glass ceiling exists in the newspaper industry as it does in nearly all sections of industry.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in the past decade there has been no increase in the number of women in management even though more women than men have entered the workforce during this time.

The cliche is true: women have come a long way, but still have a long way to go. Yet as our survey today shows, 73 per cent of Australian women think their lives are better or much better than their mothers' lives. While the changes have not been without pain, they have been necessary because the former social structure was based on a false assumption: that women were less able and less entitled to take part in the decision-making processes of society.

Some have dismissed today's initiative as tokenism. It is true that in a just world women would have an equal part in all the power structures of society every day, and not on just one day. We believe that what we are doing is a way of drawing public attention to this issue. Most of all, we see it as a celebration and wish all our readers a happy International Women's Day.

We welcome reader feedback on today's edition of The Age. Write to us at 250 Spencer Street Melbourne, fax 9601 2414, or e-mail: letters@theage.fairfax.com.au. Or join our online debate at theage.com.au on the topic: Are our workplaces family-friendly?

While I have taken overall responsibility for what appears in The Age today, the production of this newspaper has been very much a team effort, and I would like to thank all the women and the men on The Age who have given their support and expertise.

 
WHO EDITED THE AGE TODAY
Editor, Pamela Bone
Deputy Editor, Caroline Milburn
News Editor National, Carolyn Jones
News Editor First Edition, Sally Heath
Night News Editor, Margaret Easterbrook
Night Editor, Jo Chandler
Assistant News Editors, Leanne Tolra
and Clea Hincks
Features Editor, Jane Sullivan
Deputy Opinion Editor, Philippa Hawker
Obituaries Editor, Kathy Kizilos
Letters Editor, Margaret Cook
Pictorial Editor Day, Cathryn Tremain
Pictorial Editor Night, Viki Yemettas
Foreign Editor, Dairne John
Sports Editor, Caroline Wilson
Today Editor, Kylie Walker
Business Editor, Kirsty Simpson
Arts Editor, Gabriella Coslovich
Back Page Editor, Sally Finlay
Cartoons Editor, Sally Dugan
Coordinating Editor, Veronica Ridge

The old folk tale that grandma used to narrate was about a little girl who was given the boon of being a princess for a day. She used the occasion to reward all those poor friends who had been kind to her. Now we have the modern version of this fable: women journalists got to sit in the editorial decision-making chair for a day, to mark International Women’s Day this year, thanks to an idea that UNESCO put out for the event. Great.

Newstime, the paper that I do a gender column for twice a month (published from Hyderabad, south India, also known as ‘cyberabad’ because of the enthusiastic promotion of an Information Technology industry in the state by its current chief minister) carried my piece on UNESCO’s 8 March initiative on its op-ed page.

I had said in my piece (which was filed immediately after UNESCO’s announcement of its ‘newsmakers-for-a-day’ idea) that gender perspectives do not often get the importance they merit because most editorial decision-making lies in the hands of male journalists, and that such initiatives, even if they amount to no more than tokenism, would help in sensitizing the media to the needs of the female half of the population.

A large number of women have indeed come into the media in the last two decades, but most of them remain below the glass ceiling and work as reporters or feature writers (or editors of the Sunday supplements – in fact, most of the Sunday magazine editors are women !) So, did it make a difference, having women ‘man’ (if that is the right word!) the editor’s desk for a day?

The Times of India, one of the leading papers of the country, did hand over charge for the day, to its women journalists. But there was a bit of ‘cheating’ here, because the paper had already had a woman as resident editor for its Bombay edition for some time.

The day’s newspaper, scanned carefully for any ‘difference’, seemed like its version on any other ‘normal’ (read ‘male-edited’) day – the usual reports of political shenanigans, mayhem and murder, money and manipulations. But then what did I expect – that the pages would be filled with news about, by, and for, women?

The news agenda was, after all, inherited within the paper, and could not be overturned just for a day , except very peripherally and in small details. Besides, women who sit in editorial decision-making positions often feel that they have to ‘live up to the expectations of the male’ in deciding priorities, and therefore tend to underplay their gender instincts, even when given the change. Not completely, perhaps, but underplayed nonetheless.

So, was it worth it? Yes. And yes, again. Perhaps we can expect such an initiative to make a noticeable difference only over a longer time span – maybe a week, a month even. But there is always that first, small step that has to be taken, even when we set out on long journeys. And this was that small step.

I had said in my Newstime piece that "what would be interesting, is an experiment for a day, bringing out two different editions of the same paper, on the same day, one edited by a woman and the other by a male (both using the same inputs of news reports)". Comparing the two end products could provide interesting and useful comments on gender and priorities in choosing ‘news’, I had added. Somewhat like the 'control data' that researchers look for, in assessing 'significance' in changes. Any takers?

They got pushed kicking and screaming into the reporters’ seats, while we sheepishly took over the wheel.

Women Make the News Day had arrived at the Wichita Falls Times Record News, and there were lessons to be learned on both sides.

For the women placed in charge of every major position, the day started with – well – fear, not so much because we were representing womanhood in this endeavor, but because, like it or not, we were responsible for our boss’s job, or at least somebody’s job – a prospect few were totally prepared for.

In a way, it had nothing to do with womanhood to start, just the nagging worry that we wouldn’t know how to prepare a budget (we did), get the Daily Critique posted (we didn’t) or be able to predict what time various reporters would finally waltz in (nobody can). But as the day wore on, the minutia gave way to a sense of power – that we really were going to make the decisions, and we could, triumphantly, make sensible, "female decisions."

First, though, there was the obvious observation: Wow, look at how many replacements have to be made. Even in a newsroom increasingly filled with female writers, top management positions remain safely in the vice grips of men. With the exception of three positions – all of the "fluffy" or "pretty" variety – all of the decision-making power rests with men. Oh baby, look how far we haven’t come.

But once the pumps were on the other foot, it turned out that the world wouldn’t change drastically if women were indeed in charge – although it would change.

There were obvious differences in story selection. A story about a peeping tom at the hospital, to us, was a stupid little incident that deserved a brief, at best. To the men of the newsroom it was big time. They moaned when told it wouldn’t make Page 1, just as it had been the lead story on every local newscast. No way, we said, it’s a sensational bit of detritus.

Another story about women fighting for their rights – one that we initiated with the Washington bureau – probably would have received different play as well if the regulars were fighting on the line.

That difference we expected, just as we did the blatant reluctance of our bosses to be put under our wing. Was it because we were women? No, although they kidded us a lot. It was about being a boss asked to do an underling’s job – having your chain pulled in directions you don’t want to go when you’re used to getting your way.

In a way, it let us see ourselves, griping about the one more story being dumped in our laps or having someone disrupt a perfectly planned schedule.

For the bosses, we saw lessons learned too. An editor, so used to demanding stories NOW, sat moaning about how he’d get it "if only they’ll return my calls." Another was put off by the disruption in his normal routine.

Been there.

But in other ways there were subtle accommodations: The kinder-and-gentler way a male writer cropped the dead animal pictures on the outdoors page; the hard work everyone put in, producing far more stories than could ever have fit in a tight paper.

Whether it was because women were put in charge, or because underlings got a chance to see the other side of the fence, Women Make the News Day taught lessons. It’s just too bad they’re lessons we’re still needing to learn.

The women who participated in Women Make the News Day 2000 at the Wichita Falls Times Record News, and the positions they assumed (as well as their normal jobs) were:

• Bridget Knight, editor (features editor)
• Julie Gaynor, sports editor (presentation editor)
• Monica Wolfson, regional editor (city reporter)
• Staci Semrad, city editor (education reporter)
• Melissa Nunnery, news editor (graphic designer)
• Lana Sweeten-Shults, editorial page editor (entertainment editor)
• Trish Choate, business editor (business writer)
• Becky Chaney, photography editor (senior staff photographer)

A team of Scottish and African journalists have devised a virtual newsroom to raise skills amongst women journalists in developing countries and new issues amongst readers and decision makers in the developed world. The aim is to create a bold worldwide women's news agenda in the uncensored environment of the internet.

Worldwoman.net is the brainchild of Lesley Riddoch, broadcaster and editor of the "Scotswoman", the edition produced by the "Scotsman"'s female staff on International Women's Day 1995.

Now the same day in 2001 sees UNESCO's second annual campaign to have all news outlets across the world run by women - for more info see www.unesco.org/march8 - and the launch of Worldwoman – a pilot e-paper using women journalists from Zimbabawe to Canada – 24 countries across the world. Worldwoman 2001 will be online at www.worldwoman.net on 8 March 2001.

The pilot paper will prove what is possible, and thevirtualnewsroom.com will make it happen! This training project will connect women journalists across the world to work together as an editorial team - and they won't have to move out of their hometowns, villages, newsrooms, crofts or skyscrapers to get to the planning meetings!

A funding package is being put together now with UK government agencies and several corporate sponsors to have a project pilot in three African states this autumn.

After initial face to face training sessions, the web and videos will provide structure, support and stories for monthly virtual newsroom sessions. If the software works and the journalists enjoy it the virtual newsroom can expand. We could have a team in Kenya as the newsroom - a team in Ghana as the Foreign Desk, a team in Zimbabwe as the Business Desk and so on. Perhaps a Health Page in India, a Books Page from Ireland, a Farming Page from Sweden? The web is the limit!

In 2002, we aim to move the virtual newsroom out from these hubs to around 20 other countries to produce a newspaper staffed by women who've never met and have never been published outside their own countries. We hope it will be ready for the opening of the Commonwealth Games 2002.

What we need urgently is sponsorship to pay the developing country journalists who are already writing - at present their contributions are voluntary. And although the project is piloting in Africa and aims to give a voice to women journalists in developing countries, we want stories on development issues from women journalists anywhere. Our topics - health, education, work, training, men! - in fact very little, except gossip, is not part of our news agenda! We hope to update the virtual paper monthly as funding comes in and the virtualnewsroom training project expands.

By the autumn 2001 we will also need UK journalists to join the international individual mentoring programme which will be part of the training package.

In summary, Worldwoman.net with its virtualnewsroom.com will encourage women journalists in developing countries to tackle opinion forming, editing, and leader writing - in short the "big" stories and functions they rarely get asked to do.

We hope the participating journalists will find promotion in their own papers, new outlets for their work in the "northern " press and the confidence to work together via the web on brand new real or virtual publications. We hope "northern" journalists will join in to support and contribute their ideas.

At another level we hope to create groups of informed, capable citizens amongst women journalists whose skills have often been untapped in their papers, and whose voices have too often been lost to their own countries and to the world debate on development and democracy.

(www.worldwoman.net is a registered company applying for charitable status. Editor and founder Lesley Riddoch is a BBC journalist. Contact her directly on 0044 (0)141 338 3179 or e-mail lesley.riddoch@bbc.co.uk)