Women and the Media Preliminary Brief

8/7/2019 Women and the Media Preliminary Brief

1/8

Preliminary brief on the online discussion

Women and the Media

Conducted by the UN Department of Public Information

1 28 February 2010

The discussion on "Women and the Media" was part of a series of United Nations online discussions

dedicated to the fifteen-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platformfor Action (1995) and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly

(2000); and was coordinated by WomenWatch, an inter-agency project of the United Nations Inter-agency Network on Women and Gender Equality and an unique electronic gateway to web-based

information on all United Nations entities' work and the outcomes of the United Nations

intergovernmental processes for the promotion of gender equality and womens empowerment. Formore information and other Beijing at 15 online discussions, visit

http://www.un.org/womenwatch/beijing15/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this report reflect the opinions of participants to the onlinediscussion and not the official views of the United Nations.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/beijing15/http://www.un.org/womenwatch/beijing15/http://www.un.org/womenwatch/beijing15/http://www.un.org/womenwatch/beijing15/


2/8

1

22February2010

PreliminarybriefontheonlinediscussionforumonWomenandtheMedia

ConductedbytheUNDepartmentofPublicInformation

from1to28February2010

insupportoftheBeijing+15reviewprocess

Introduction

TheonlineforumwasorganizedandmoderatedbytheStrategicCommunicationsDivisionoftheUN

DepartmentofPublicInformation(DPI).Individualjournalists,mediaorganizationsandnetworks,

membersofacademiaandrepresentativesofnongovernmentalorganizationswereinvitedto

participate.InvitationstoparticipateweresenttotheUNpresscorps,UNInformationCentres(who

wereaskedtodistributeitintheirregions),theDAWcontactlistofNGOsandthoseinvolvedinthe

CSW,aswellastoalistofapproximately300individualsandorganizationsactiveontheissueof

WomenandtheMedia,foundthroughInternetresearch. DAWcontactedtheIANGWEfocalpointsto

informthemofthediscussion.

ThediscussionwasheldforthefirsttimeonFacebook,asocialmedia.Over325peoplebecamefans

ofthepage.TwitterwasalsousedtodrivetraffictotheFacebookpage.Asof22February,128

participantsfromAfrica,Asia,Europe,LatinAmerica,thePacificIslandsandtheUnitedStatesshared

theirexperiencesregardingwomenandthemedia.

DPIsolicitedinputsonthefollowingthemes:

WeekOne1to7February:Achievinggenderequalityinmediaorganizationsthroughadequatepolicies;

WeekTwo814February:Addressingthegendergap(EqualJobsEqualPay)Womenworkinginthemedia;

WeekThree1521February:Portrayalofwomeninthemediaandgenderstereotyping; WeekFour2228February:Violenceagainstwomenjournalistsandanyotherissues;and

wrapupandrecommendations.

2.ThemeOne:AchievingGenderEqualityinMediaOrganizationsthroughAdequatePolicies.

1. Theonlinediscussionsought insights into thestatusofwomenworking inmediaorganizations. Itaskedparticipantstoindicateifadequatepolicieswereadoptedtopromotegenderequalityandif

womensparticipationandaccesstodecisionmakingand leadershippositions invariouscountries

had increased, in order to understand the factors that hinder womens access to leadership

positions. Italso requestedparticipants to share initiatives takenbyorganizationsat the country

leveltowardsachievinggenderequality.


3/8

2

2.1 Countryexperiences

2. Insharing theirexperiences,participantsfromdevelopedanddevelopingcountriesalike indicatedslow change in thesituation in respect togenderequality inmediaorganizations.Theyobserved

thatthenumberofwomenbreakingthroughtheglassceilingtoreachsenior leadershippositions

wasrisingataslowpace.Thepercentagewasquitelowincomparisonwiththeoverallnumberof

women who joined media organizations. They observed that men were still the ones

overwhelminglyholdingkeypositionsinmediaorganizationsandbodiesgoverningmedia.Thiswas

automatically reflected in the editorial choices a newspaper or other medium makes, as one

participant stated. Anotherparticipant (Nigeria)noted that she could not thinkof anypolicies

meanttopromotewomensparticipationinthemediainhercountry.

3. Someparticipants (Azerbaijan,CameroonandUSA) felt that changewhich might impacton theindustryaswellastheviewersandlistenerscouldoccurifwomenwereproactiveandweretobe

CEOsandownersofbroadcastproperties. Buildingstrongnetworkswasanotherpossibleway to

effectchange.Inthisregard,someparticipants(Cameroon,Canada,Netherlands,Nigeria)deplored

thatthefewwomenwhodidclimbtothetopwerekeeneronbecomingpartofthe"brotherhood

circle"thansupportingotherwomenstillontheirway.Itis2010.Itshouldnolongerbeastruggle

forwomen tobe inmanagementpositions. It shouldno longerbe thatawoman cannot change

policiesandpracticesofanorganization tomake itmore inclusiveof those other than theboys

club,statedaparticipantfromFiji.

2.2 Representationofwomenatdecisionmakinglevelsinmediaorganizationsandinboards

governingmedia

4. Several participants from Cameroon,New Zealand,Nigeria,Uganda andUnited Kingdom sharedexamplesofwomenholdingseniorpositionsinmediaorganizations.Someofthesewomenworked

ingovernmentalmediastructures.Itwasnotedthatgenerallysuchappointmentswereconsidered

political. Some participants reported that the situation was quite different within private,

independentmediaorganizations,ownedbymen,wherethenumberofwomenemployedatsenior

levelswasmuchlower almostnonexistent.Someexamplesofcontributionsinclude:

AccordingtoAnneGuedheuYoumbi,PresidentoftheAssociationofProfessionalAfricanWomeninCommunications(APAC)inCameroon,inthegovernmentstructuressuchasthe

nationalTVorCameroonTribune,thegovernmentaldailynewspaper,journalistswere

appointedatall levels.Forinstance,theGeneralDirectorofSOPECAM,thegovernment

structurethatownstheCameroonTribune,wasafemalejournalist;andthereareafewothersholdingdecisionmakingpositionsinthenationalbroadcaster.

ChinyereFredAdegbulugbe,ChiefCorrespondentatThePunch,anationaldailynewspaperinNigeria,reportedthattheManagingDirectoroftheNewsAgencyofNigeriawasawoman,Ms.

RemiOyo.


4/8

3

LisaWilliamsLahari,fromthePacificWaveMedianetworkinNewZealand,reportedthattherewerePacificwomeninmedialeadershiptobefoundacrossallmainstreammedia:print,radio,

TV,onlineandinparticular,alternativecommunitymediaforms.Theirexistenceisnot

tokenistic,asitispurelyonthebasisoftheirwork,perseveranceandeffortthattheygotto

wheretheyare.Buttheyremainaminority,andyouonlyhavetolookattheregionalmedia

associationforthatproof.Inthe30orsoyearsthatthePacificIslandsNewsAssociationhas

existed,onlyonewomanhasleditasPresident.Thepositionitselfhasbecomesomaleowned

thatpotentialwomenencouragedbyustostandforleadershiphavesaidno,becausethey

didn'twanttodealwiththeproblemsandpoliticsinvolvedinmerelystandingforelection,let

alonetakingontheworkofleadingmediaregionalism!

AlisonClarke,FounderandcoeditorofWomen'sViewsonNews,UnitedKingdom,indicatedthatthereareveryfewseniorwomeninthenewspaperfieldintheUK.Thereareanumberof

womeneditorsofmagazinesbutveryfewinmoreseniorareas.Thisisallcompletelyanecdotal

asI'mnotsureoftheexactnumbersbutIwouldsaythat95%ofnewspapereditorsaremen.As

yougoupthehierarchytherearefewerandfewerwomen.

Asregardsthesituationintheboardsgoverningmedia,DaisyAnneNamono,BoardmemberofUgandaBroadcastingCorporation,mentionedthathercountryhadanumberofstatutory

bodiesgoverningmediaandnationalbroadcastingandprintmediahouses.Tothebestofher

knowledgeallthesewereheadedbymen.ThereisawomanatthelevelofDeputyManaging

DirectorattheUgandaBroadcastingCorporationandafewothersatthelevelofManagerRadio

orEditors....TheinstitutionalstructuredoesnotalloweffectiveparticipationoftheDeputy

ManagingDirectorindecisionmaking.Sheobservedthatsinceboardsgoverningmediawere

statutory,atleastonethirdofthepositionsontheBoardwereoccupiedbywomen.Theroleof

thesefirmsistoensurethatthemandateoftheinstitutionisexercised.Sincegenderisnot

mainstreamedinthemediaindustry,theparticipationofwomenisoftenignored.OntheBoard

Isiton,wetryasmuchaspossibletoensurethatwomengettooccupydecisionmakingpositionsinmanagementbyensuringthatallwomenwhoqualifyforthepositionaregiventhe

opportunitytocompeteforit,butwefacethechallengewhenwomenfailtoexcelat

interviews.Thereisalwaysthedebateofnotcompromisingperformanceoftheinstitution.

5. Allparticipantsacknowledgedthatagreatnumberofwomenweremainlyworkingatthelowandmiddlelevels.

DianeSutter,President/CEOofShootingStarTV,USA,statedthatintheUS,theyhavemadegreatstridestowardsgettingmorewomenintoentrylevelandmiddlemanagementrolesinthe

broadcastingmediaoverthelast25years,thoughithasnotbeeneasy.Womenhavehadthe

mostsuccessinthesalesranks,wheretheyhaveshowngreattalentandhavebecomethetop

billersinmanyradioandtelevisionstations.Havingsaidthat,theupperlevelranksofCEOsand

ownershavenothadthesamelevelofgrowth.

AnneAutio,ManagingEditorfortheEuropeanJournalismCentre,TheNetherlands,mentionedthattheNordiccountriesareoftenviewedasexemplary,whenitcomestoequalopportunities

forpeoplefromallwalksoflife,andgenderissuesareoftenpushedasideasiftheywerenota

problematall.Unfortunately,thisisnotthecase.InFinnishnewspapers,therearepreciousfew


5/8

4

womeneditorsinchief.Evenonthenewsmanagerlevel,60%ofmanagersaremales.Atthe

sametime,themajorityofjournalismstudentsintheuniversitiesarefemalesandin2008,more

thanhalf(56.4%)ofmembersoftheJournalists'Unionwerewomen.Currently,amajorstudy

isbeingconductedinFinland,tofindoutwhythecareersofwomenjournalistsusuallystopat

thelowermanagementlevel.Thecareerbreaktohavebabiesisjusttoosimpleanexplanation,

soafullerpictureisneeded.

2.3 Factorsthathinderwomeninreachingseniorpositions

6. Participantscitedthefollowingreasonsasfactorsthatpreventedwomenfromreachingsenior

positionsinmediaorganizations:

Lackofgenderresponsivepolicies Lackofskillsandhighprofessionalstandards Lackofeffectivenetworkingbywomen Culturalfactors Prejudice:womenbeingkeptincertaintypesofreporting

2.4 Initiatives/Achievements7.ParticipantsfromAzerbaijan,UgandaandtheUSAsharedinitiativestakenatthestatelevelandby

nongovernmentalorganizationstopromotewomensroleinthemedia.

DaisyAnneNamono,BoardmemberofUgandaBroadcastingCorporation,reportedthattheprincipleofaffirmativeactionthatcompelledallstatutoryinstitutionstohave30%

representationofwomenwasenshrinedintheconstitutionofUganda.Shesaidthatsofar,

womenwerewellrepresentedinthepoliticalarena;forinstance,thecurrentMinisterof

Informationwasawoman.Buttherepresentationofwomenatprofessionallevelsand

managementlevelsisstillverylow.

DianeSutter,President/CEO,ShootingStarTV(USA),statedthatmostofthewomensheknewatthemostseniorlevelsweredoingalottohelpmentorotherwomen.Shecitedasanexample

theAmericanWomeninRadioandTelevisionOrganizationofwhichshewasapastNational

President.Thisorganizationisallabouthelpingwomengrowintheindustryandtoadvocate

onbehalfofwomenintheindustryaswellastoensurethepositiveportrayalofwomeninthe

media.Theorganizationholdsalarge,industryawardsprogramcalledtheGracies,tohighlight

excellenceinprogramsabout,fororbywomen.

3. ThemeTwo:Addressingthegendergap(equaljobsequalpay)forwomenworkinginthe

media

8. Allparticipantsagreedthattherewasstillagendergapforwomenworkinginthemedia.Asoneof

themnoted:genderdisparitieswithinthemediareflecttherealityofoursocietyandtheoverallstatus

ofwomen.Theyfeltthatjobsdominatedbywomenwerelowpaidforseveralreasons:partlydueto


6/8

5

the"babybreak",partlyduetoverticalsegregation(morewomenatthebottomofthehierarchyandfar

moremenatthetop)andpartlyduetodiscrimination.Theywerealsooftheopinionthatwomenhad

todoabetterjobofnegotiatingforthemselvesandnotjustacceptwhatwasbeingoffered. Youre

worthitifyouthinkyouare...standupforyourself.Youmightbesurprisedatwhatyouget,adviseda

participant.

3.1 Countryspecificsituations

AlisonClarke,aUKparticipant,said,Wehavehad40yearsofequalpaylegislationintheUKandyetthereisstillapaygapofabout17%(therearedifferentstatsusedatdifferenttimesby

differentpeoplesothisisverymuchanaverage)fortheaveragehourlypayrateoffulltime

womenworkerscomparedtofulltimemaleworkers. Shefurthernotedthattherehadbeen

endlessgovernmentreportsonthecausesofthepaygapbutverylittlemeaningfulactivity.At

themomentthegovernmentisstillrefusingtointroducecompulsorypayauditswhereby

companieswouldhavetoauditthepayofeveryoneintheirorganizationtoascertainifthereis

apaygap,whichtheywouldthenhavetodosomethingabout,sheremarked.

LisaWilliamsfromthePacificIslandsnotedthatmanymediaemployerswereintheprivatesectoranddidnothaveanobligationtodivulgeandweresuspiciousofanyattemptstoask

aboutpayscales.ShehadundertakenstudiesonthesituationofPacificwomeninmediaand

foundthiswasamajorstumblingblock,especiallybecausetheindustryhadahighturnoverand

goodworkerswouldoftenswitchemployerswithinaverysmallmediabase.Wearetalking

aboutsmallislandeconomiesofscalewhicharebeyondthecomprehensionofmultinational

conglomerates,shestated,adding:OnethingthatseemedtoworkatleastfromthelittleI

haveseenofNewZealandmediaandwomeninthemistheneedforformalized,embedded

remunerationscaleswhicharecontestableandperformancedriven.Thiswouldallowforsome

transparencyandwomenwouldhaveaprocesstopromotethemselves.Shealsoobservedthat

theissueofprivacyoverpayscalesresurfaces.Oftenawomanwouldnotknowwhatmenather

levelaregetting,soshewouldntknowshewasbeingpaidlessforthesame,usuallymore,

effort.

3.2 Mainreasonsforthegendergap

9. Forparticipants, the following reasonswere factors thatpreventedwomen from reaching senior

positions

in

media

organizations:

Occupationalsegregation Slowercareerprogression Discrimination Lackofpreparedness Lackofnegotiatingskills Lackofsupportsystem


7/8

6

4.ThemeThree: Portrayalofwomeninmediaandgenderstereotyping

10. Indiscussingtheproposedthemeofthethirdweekoftheonlineforum,Portrayalofwomenin

mediaandgenderstereotyping,severalparticipantsreferredtotheupcomingfindingsoftheGlobal

MediaMonitoringProject(GMMP),whichtheysaidwouldhelpdetermineiftherehadbeenany

progressorpositivechangeintermsofwomen'srepresentationinthemediasincethe2005GMMP.

Oneparticipantstressedthattheresultsneedtoreceivepublicityoncereleased.

Countryspecificexperiences

11. Inthemeantime,mostparticipantsreportedthattherehadbeenminimalchanges. Womenwere

stillbeingpresentedinhighlystereotypicalwaysthat'limit'theirpotential.ItwassuggestedthatALL

staffinthenewsroom(andnotonlywomenjournalists)undertaketrainingontheneedtoproduce

qualitycontentthatbalancestheimageofmenandwomen.

ForChinyereFredAdegbukugbeofNigeria,theissueofnegativeportrayalofwomenisquitecomplexbecausemostofthesewomen,especiallythoseofthemwhoappearonproductsthat

sometimeshaveabsolutelynothingtodowithwomen,seetheseactivitiesasmealtickets.And

becausemen,especiallyinthispartoftheworld,haverefusedtoseemostwomenotherthan

asmenpleasers,onetendstolosethewaratbothends.

MaureenIsaacson,AssistantEditor,SundayIndependent,Johannesburg,SouthAfrica,statedthatrepeatedlywearetoldthatsex,orthedepictionofwomenassexobjects,iswhatthe

readerswant.Stereotypesofthedancing,openmouthedfemalearegivenhalfapageof

broadsheet,atleast.Weshouldacceptthisorsuffertheconsequences whichwouldbea

worldwithoutnews.Thereisnoconclusiveevidencethatnewspapersthatdonotdisplaysuch

demeaningstereotypessink,butthestatusquotakesusbacktoprefeministeraandkeepsus

there.ShealsoaddedthatinSouthAfricaprofessionalwomenhadrisentothetopofallfields,

yettheirfaceswereseenlessthanthoseoftheirmalecounterparts,theirvoicesheardless

frequently.Thisdialogueaskswhetheritisnottimeforamajorshiftinthewaywomenare

portrayedinthemedia,butthemaleeditorsofnewspapersseemtobetakingtheirsweettime

aboutdecidingwhentomakethatshift.Womenarereadilylabeledragingfeministsforasking

forlessofthemenwhocontrolthiskindofimagery,sheobserved.

12. AnneAutio,ManagingEditorfortheEuropeanJournalismCentre,TheNetherlands,wasofthe

opinion,however,that,lookingatthemedia(especiallytelevision)intheNetherlandsandotherEU

memberstates,atwistedsenseof"equality"prevailed.Allgroupsofpeople womenandmen,girls

andboys,ethnicandreligiousminorities,theyouthandtheelderly,etc aredepictedinstereotypical

ways.Especiallytheexploitationofsexualimagesofmenhasrapidlyincreasedinthepastfewyears,

andiscurrentlyascommonastheexploitationofwomen.


8/8

7

4.2 Initiatives/Responses

Belowareinitiativespresentedbysomeparticipants:

SikhonzileNdlovu(SouthAfrica)notedthatonepositivedevelopmenthadbeenthesigningoftheSADCProtocolonGenderandDevelopment,whichhassetcleartargetsforachievinggender

equalityindifferentareas,includingthemedia.Itwashopedthatitwilladdressissuesaround

mediadecisionmakingstructuresandrepresentationincontent.Ithasoftenbeenarguedthat

thenegativemediaportrayalsarebecausethereareveryfewwomenindecisionmaking

positionsthatcaninfluencecontent,shestated.

ArielDougherty,cofounderofWomenMakeMovies,observedthatwith16,800hoursaweekofTV(viasatellite)intheUS,notonehourwasdevotedtofeministnewsandwomen'sstories

andthatmostwomen'smediaorganizationsandprojectsfellthroughthecracksofthevast

majorityoffundingopportunities.ShereportedonanewinitiativetheMediaEquity

Collaborativethroughwhichtheydidasurveyofwomen'smediaorganizationsandprojectsin

2009.Itcameoutofthesurveythatmostoftheseorganizationshadveryslimresourcesand

thattherehasbeenagreatupsurgeofnewwomen'smediaorganizationsintheUSinthelast

decade.

AccordingtoHelenRusetskayaofGeorgia,themediainhercountrylackedgoodethics.Shereportedthatshewasworkingonfundraisingfortheproductionandpublishingofacodeof

ethicsforjournalism. Itishopedthatthisprojectwouldhelpimprovetheportrayalofwomenin

theGeorgianmedia.

Thisweek(2228February),participantswilldiscussviolenceagainstwomenjournalistsandwrapupthe

onlineforumanddiscussrecommendations.

Documents

Women and the Media Preliminary Brief