Jane Gabriel

Jane Gabriel is Programme Director of openDemocracy's 50.50 editorial initiative. She directed more than thirty documentaries for Channel Four Television and the BBC international current affairs series "Correspondent" before joining openDemocracy. Jane was a member of Britain's first all women television production company, Broadside.

As well as producing podcasts and articles (see below), Jane has reported on the Commission on the Status of Women (2009, 2008, and 2007) the Nobel Women's Initiative conferences in 2007  and 2009 and the Marie Stopes Global Safe Abortion conference 2007, plus the annual 16 Days against Gender Violence 2007and 2008 .

Recent articles

The increasing economic poverty in villages in the West Bank is leading to unexpected changes in gender roles and is challenging the tradition of early marriage.

A few years ago, the Trust of Programs for Early Childhood, Family and Community Education, an NGO based in East Jerusalem, offered a course of lectures in the villages. The topics included women's rights, child raising and education. Women, some of whom had never left their houses before, went to listen. Today there is a network of 750 women in five villages and small teams of women who go door to door contacting women isolated inside their homes. The women work with both the local mayors and religious leaders to open discussion about topics that were formerly taboo subjects. Later this year the Trust has plans to start the men talking too. 

Jane Gabriel has been in the villages of Beit Bedo, Beit Anan and Beit Doqqu outside Ramallah, listening to those who are involved in the changes on the ground. Press the play button (>) above to hear the podcast.

Iranian journalist Zhila Bani Yaghoub and her husband Bahman Ahmadi Amooyi were arrested in Iran over the weekend after government forces reportedly raided their home.  Yaghoub is a veteran journalist who has worked to promote women's rights in Iran. She spoke recently at the Nobel Women's Initiative conference on 'Redefining Democracy' held in Guatemala.

The Nobel Women's Initiative issued a statement saying:

"We are worried for the safety of Zhuila, her husband and the countless other Iranian activists and protesters currently being detained in Iran. We encourage your support in this ongoing struggle"

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On her way home to Northern Ireland from the Nobel Women’s conference in Guatemala, Laureate Mairead Maguire was detained by the USA Homeland Security Immigration. She was held for two hours, during which she was questioned, fingerprinted and photographed. This resulted in her missing her flight. She was released upon the actions of the Nobel Women’s Initiatives representatives’ who insisted on her immediate release. The following are Mairead's words.

To read the transcript of this interview click here.

In the third podcast from the Nobel Women's Initiative gathering in Antigua laureate Mairead Maguire spoke to Jane Gabriel about a new politic she sees arising: one in which ‘deep democracy' is built by people standing up, building ‘personal democracy' one to one, and demanding that the money be taken out of militarism. 

Listen now to some of the ideas discussed during three days of women ‘Redefining democracy for peace, justice and equality', and to Mairead Maguire's call to action. 

To read articles and the conference blog written by participants and the openDemocracy team click here.

Image: Judy Rand

To read the transcript of this interview click here.

Every woman at the Nobel Women's Initiative gathering in Antigua had a way of redefining democracy - from writing the new Ecuadorian constitution to include the rights of nature, to fighting for a place at the negotiating table at the peace talks in Sudan, and from supporting women's' rights activists in Iran to reforming the gender architecture of the UN. They shared information and experiences for three days, and came up with a collective statement of what democracy redefined by women would be.

Jane Gabriel listened to three days of stories,debate and plans for the future. Listen now - press play (>) above.

To read articles and the conference blog written by participants and the openDemocracy team click here.