Luanda — The Angola Press Agency (ANGOP)'s deputy director-general for Information, Luísa Damião, on Thursday in Luanda said that the mass media is a valuable instrument in forming public opinion, regarding the diffusion of a culture of fighting against domestic violence.

Luísa Damião made this statement when delivering a lecture on "The role of the Media in the fight against domestic violence, the Angolan case", at the international conference that serves to close the first phase of the campaign dubbed "Challenging Silence", organised by the Women Journalists Forum for Gender Equality.

Given the importance of the subject, press organs also have a key task in the transformation of traditional ideas about feminine and masculine, becoming leading actors in the promotion of a culture of equality, fight against stereotypes and sexist myths.

The Media must play a decisive pedagogical role in the moral and civic education of citizens, emphasised ANGOP's deputy director-general.

"They have the capacity and potential to generate reflection and play an important role in spreading messages. Thus, they are bulwarks in the promotion of citizenship and also play their role in the construction of national identity" said Luisa Damião.

To her, the fight against domestic violence demands integrated actions in several levels, areas and instances, because one can not fight against this problem without demanding the end of impunity.

The event is being attended by government officials, national and foreign female journalists, as well as a female MP.

Since December 2008, the referred forum has been implementing the "Challenging Silence" campaign, whose first phase closed last Thursday.