At Chicas Poderosas, for almost 10 years we have been working for more and more voices to be heard, to make the media more diverse, to see more women in leadership positions, BIPOC in command and people from the LGBTQ+ community making decisions about editorials.

Journalists have the great power to present the reality as it is, whilst connecting to its variety through different investigations — making us think differently. This is how their work has the ability to change the world.

Chicas Poderosas’ mission is to transform the media so it becomes more representative and inclusive. We believe journalism should portray, not only the diverse realities and realities of women, but LGBTQ+ communities, afro descendants, indigenous and other dissenting voices.

Because today 79% of the directors of newspapers and television are white middle class. With the diversity of media we play a lot. Much remains to be said when the media is monopolized by white men. What happens when you read a newspaper that is not inclusive?

You only receive a small part of the story, important problems fall in the shadows, you do not understand reality for what it is and it creates polarization, marginalization and lack of representation in politics, in business leadership positions — leading to an ultimately weak democracy.

More inclusive media is the fast track to creating greater acceptance and openness to all that transcend the norm.

The media are the ultimate “influencers.” The media are, for better or worse, the ones that can exert the most pressure on the most powerful people and groups in the world. If you manage to influence from the top down, the rest of the world will follow you. This power is huge.

Those who lead the media are always the same. They say that it is important for them to be diverse and inclusive, and it is true that this reality is changing, but having women journalists and reporters is not the same as having women leading a newspaper — because it’s the leaders who decides how each story is published. There are very few leaders in the media who put people of diverse origin in decision-making positions.

Why is it necessary to have diversities in command of the media? Because it will result in a more balanced, healthier society with a smaller gap between those who have a lot and those who have nothing. You will form a more peaceful, empathetic, tolerant, and cooperative mindset. This will materialize in more sustainable, stronger, and diverse economies, less loneliness, fewer mental disorders and suicides, less gender injustice.

With the new generations coming up, we see fewer and fewer people accepting a working life where their rights are not respected — not only in newsrooms but also in corporations. As an organization of journalists, we have several challenges for 2023: to increase diversity in the media, to have narratives that provide a real reflection of the world, and to stop violence, so that our journalists stay alive. Together, we can create an equal and strong democracy.