The Superwomen team behind ‘AL AAN’ TELEVISION, the channel of ‘NOW
“When I first started out in the industry, it was impossible to find a channel that would trust a woman in the role of a
director,” says Aline Barhoum, on air producer of Al Aan TV. “I constantly heard a comment, ‘she will not be able to
handle the job’,” adds Barhoum. However at Al Aan things were different. A network that had a constructive environment which encouraged professional growth of women, and did not discriminate against any gender. The first thing she heard there was “We really want a woman to be in the role of a director,” says the producer, and thus began a five-year relationship with Al Aan. Al Aan, which means Now in Arabic, is a network which focuses on broadcasting through a female perspective, yet ensuring that the male masses are not alienated.
“Society is defined by women and men equally,” says Farah Ben Temessek, Corporate Communications Manager.
“When we develop and broadcast shows, it is through the eyes of a woman, however it concerns the male audiences
as well. Al Aan empowers women from diverse backgrounds and nationalities, to step up as leaders in their field, and give them the power to influence society through their voice. Women are members of society, therefore their achievements should be crucial to their counterparts. We are two in this world and equally contribute to the society,” adds Temessek. The stereotyping of women in the Arab region as docile and unable to work in challenging industries has been proven wrong with the game changing Al Aan Television, where reporting hard news takes center stage, and travelling to reporters. The only television station to film and report the funeral of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi after his death, Al Aan has cemented its credible position in the world of news reporting.
“Our roving reporter Jenan Moussa travels to incredibly risky and dangerous locations. She is independent and accomplished, and Al Aan’s goal is to provide women with that oppurtunity to achieve anything they set their minds to. Our main corporate roles such as head of news, programming and producers are women,” states Temessek. Al Aan has not only become a crusader for placing the spotlight on women’s issues, but has created a platform which encourages the onboarding of female professionals. “Before being a leading TV channel which focuses on female topics, Al Aan TV started its mission of women empowerment by giving opportunities and responsibilities to successful women in positions that are usually occupied by men in the media world. This has made its topics and coverage more credible because of the personal empathy and humanity of itsfemale staff,” says Rania Sayah, Head of news.”We are making a difference because the women of media are building tomorrow now,” emphasises Sayah.
Al Aan is breaking down gender stereotypes with roving reporter Jenan Moussa who is a living, breathing emblem for women empowerment. She has braved war stricken nations and overed breaking news in the midst of regional turmoils. Recently she travelled to Brussels and Paris after the terror attacks and frequently visits crisis zones
such as Syria and Libya. “You need to be 101% passionate about your job to shine in it. Travelling in northern Syria these days is extremely dangerous and tough. You can be killed by bullets or bombs. Or you can get kidnapped. It often is exhausting because of all the danger, stress, and travelling,” she explains.
But for Moussa, danger was not going to hold her back. “I could have of course chosen an office job, but I feel that I
would lack the passion to become good at it. For a journalist to cover a war is very intense. But it is also very, very
rewarding. You come face to face with the most terrible and the most beautiful things. People die, people survive. Stories of total disaster, stories of so much hope,” she says.
many women, who are emerging from the Arab world as independent trailblazers. However, according to Assia Abd
Rahman, who is the Editor-in-Chief for Al Magharibia Al Aan, there is a looming obstacle of culture that is perceived to hold back a majority of women, from being able to achieve their goals in some Arab regions. “There is no doubt that a large part of customs and traditions still hinder Arab women from actively participating in society. However, the prevalent stereotypes contains a great deal of exaggeration and hype, where those restrictions by virtue of the
customs and traditions imposed on the Arab women vary from one country to another, and also varies from region to
region within the same country,” comments Abd Rahman. Al Aan recognises this issue and does not shy away from broadcasting sensitive material. The brand objective of “Real News, Real Entertainment in Real Time”comes into play by moving mountains ofpre judice and stereotypes in the Arabregion by developing quality programmes that highlight issues faced by many underdeveloped communities.
“There are many dilemmas faced by the Arab Women which are not addressed by the Arabic media such as women of Daesh, and the relationship between the triad of underdevelopment which Al Aan reports on,” states Abd Rahman. Furthermore, Al Aan provides their audience with the bigger picture and recognises their responsibility of being a powerful media agent. As a prominent television network catering to the Arab audiences, it reports about women issues within different Gulf districts and provides a fresh outlook on women in various regions. “The general policy at Al Aan TV, and especially its News Department, is to highlight and contrast between healthy and productive societies, where women are actively contributing to their development, compared to other societies where women are oppressed in different ways,” says Sayah. Therefore providing a true depiction of women in the Gulf region, where many capitals have developed reforms offering women social emancipation and financial independence.
Through their original content value which caters to both genders, Al Aan has bought a wave of change by being key
influencers in the Arab World. Their digital domain alone boosts a strong following of 11.5 million hits on their website on a monthly basis, over 1 million followers on Twitter and over 26 million followers on Facebook. The women that form the team of Al Aan come from rich diverse backgrounds such as Mauritania, Tunisia and Lebanon. Their unnerving passion and drive to excel at their respective position has led them to success. “I believe that the future of Arab women draws the image of the future of Arab world,” comments Sayah, who believes that women empowerment is a crucial component in forming a successful future. “That’s why as Head of News, I do my best to equally distribute tasks among our team male and female members,” she adds. Al Aan is a network which is responsibly using their influence to carve out a future where equal opportunities exist for both genders, and that is a future that we can aspire to be a part of.
