who: MediaWatch is a non-profit Canadian feminist organisation that seeks to transform the media environment from one in which girls and women are either invisible or portrayed through a stereotype, to one in which girls and women are realistically portrayed and equitably represented in all their physical, racial, religious, economical and cultural diversity.

mission: at MediaWatch people believe that change in the media is fundamental to altering individual thinking and behaviour that has allowed gender inequality, sexual harassment and violence against girls and women to exist and normalised their presence in today’s society.

activities: MediaWatch's main activities are consumer advocacy and media monitoring; media literacy to show people how to deconstruct media images and work to change them; and conducting and sponsoring research on media issues and the impact the media has on specific groups.

take action: daily, thousands of media images bombard us. Images can be found on billboards, TV, radio, magazines, video games, on the Internet, at school, in public areas and on public transport. Media are everywhere and they inform us about how to dress, look, eat, and interact. Media also impact how we view each other, our gender roles and what we define as ‘normal’ in terms of social behaviour. To overcome the negative impacts of the media environment, education and creative resistance is essential.

cool for you: are you under 25? Are you concerned about gender image and sexism in the media? If the answer is yes then MediaWatch is what you are looking for...