based Community Media Network (CMN) will host a unique, regional conference on Monday aimed at empowering civil society as well as media and facilitate the work of community media and its role in promoting Jordanian democracy. It will especially focus on the role of women in civil society and the media landscape.

The conference is funded under the European Union "Empowering Civil Society through Community Media" project and it will be held under the patronage of Minister of State for Media Affairs and Government Spokesperson Jumana Ghunaimat, and in association with UNESCO. It will take place at the Landmark Hotel on February 18- 19, 2019.^.

Daoud Kuttab,  Director General of Community Media Network said the aim of the event is to help civil society understand the needs of the media and at the same time encourage decision makers to give way for a wider coverage of civil society issues in the local media.  “We hope to encourage Jordanian regulators to ease the ability of nonprofits in owning media so that they can better proliferate their ideas to make society better.”

For his part, EU Ambassador to Jordan, Mr. Andrea Matteo Fontana, said: "Strong and independent local media, such as radios and digital platforms based on local content, is essential to promote citizens' engagement in political life."

The conference will particularly emphasise gender issues and media. Etaf Roudan, Project Manager of the EU-funded project, believes the event will help women organizations understand media better. “Last month, we celebrated the issuance of 10 sub grants to civil society organizations, most of whom were women- led, and we hope that these activists in these organizations can benefit from the conference."

CMN was registered in 2007 as a not for profit company dedicated to advancing human rights and freedom of expression through community media.