"Monitoring data will provide vital information that can be used to help responsible decision makers make positive changes that will benefit all stakeholders," said a press release issued by the sponsor, the American National Democratic Institute (NDI), after the training.

As an outcome of the workshop, participants formed the media watch group, whose task will be to monitor media coverage of women and issues of importance to them in Guyana and follow up on identified deficiencies, NDI said.

It noted that the seminar provided the participants with analytical tools to assess coverage of stories, columns, programmes, commercials and advertisements.

"The workshop placed particular emphasis on how women are treated with respect to politics, political issues and civil society concerns. Also included were awareness raising techniques, organising campaigns to engage the local media and advocacy and lobbying methods," the release reported.

It said models of media regulatory frameworks used in other countries were also examined.

NDI, which conducted the training with funding from United States Agency for International Development (USAID), said the trainees were coursed to monitor and critically analyse the images of women and how issues affecting their sex are addressed in the media.

The trainer, Ms Melanie Cishecki, who is Executive Director of Media Watch Canada, said Guyanese women took an important step forward by participating.

According to her, media monitoring will give women the tools they need to lobby for positive changes in coverage of them and their issues.

A press release said women's groups in this country have long complained that women are poorly or negatively represented in the media.