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Southern Africa

This research examines the representation and advancement of women in the media in Southern Africa, focusing on the presence of glass ceilings. It analyzes data from media houses in 14 countries, highlighting the barriers and opportunities for women in the industry.

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Southern Africa

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  1. Glass Ceilings Women and men in Southern African media Southern Africa

  2. Why this research? • GMBS 2003: media content, Women in Southern Africa 17% news sources, GMPS 2010:19% • GMMP 2005: Women 19% news sources, GMMP 2010:24% • Women within the media only through content (25% print; 30-40% in radio/TV; 50% TV presenters) • Not entirely accurate; did not tell us about decision-making. • Did not tell us about media as a whole • SA pilot in 2006: only newsrooms. Now whole media houses

  3. Food for thought? • Does having a critical mass of women in the media make a difference • Barriers to women’s advancement in the media • Is the Glass Ceiling real or it is imaginary? • If it does exist can it be broken/shattered

  4. Why now? • SADC Protocol on Gender and Development: 50/50 by 2015 in all areas of decision making including the media. • Gender equality IN and THROUGH the media. • Complemented by Gender and Media Progress Study (GMPS). • New energy to gender and media work in 2010: Beijing Plus 15; Launch of the Decade of the African woman; and a year before 20 years of the Windhoek Declaration.

  5. Scope? • 14 countries- minus Angola • Media houses as compared to newsrooms • Important to obtain data that covers all media operations • 126 media houses (out of 208) representing 23,678 employees • The largest audit ever under taken. • Builds on MAP (140 HIV and AIDS policies) • But limitations e.g. SA, Zimbabwee.g no public media ZBH

  6. Methodology? • July 2008- July 2009 • Quantitative data- one questionnaire per media house • Perception questionnaires- 471 respondents. 46% women and 54% men

  7. Access denied Zainah Liwanda

  8. Country variations

  9. What the bosses said • Journalism is not suited for women. Late working hours are not conducive for women to apply for the post… Journalism is not a 9.00 am to 4.00 pm job. In March 2009 we are going to have a bi-election, girls cannot go and cover elections due to late hours”- Mauritius • Women just can not stand the long working hours, they would rather go into PR”- Zambia

  10. Culture and tradition • “The restrictions are more from the traditions, not necessarily from the media house. It is unspoken – it is within us as Swazis.” Stewart Tsela, editor at Radio Swaziland

  11. Discouraged from joining • “More women do not train as journalists because of how women journalists are labelled. Even before I joined this field people discouraged me by saying women journalists are prostitutes.”- Malawi • “The attitude of society deflects women away from media studies. Many people believe women journalists are prostitutes.” Malawi • ‘Media industry is like an old boys club where men predominate and they look down upon the few women in the field” Zambia

  12. Women missing at the top

  13. Strong views • “When you complain and ask why other people are being promoted, they say they have strengths which I do not have. Yet nobody explains these strengths or gives you a convincing reason why you cannot be promoted. Sometimes you just hear people murmuring that the bosses say they cannot promote a woman. • “I have given up, because you complain to the same men who have made up their minds that they will not promote a woman. Some of these men are less educated than I, and would feel threatened if I were to be their boss or hold an influential position in this company. • “Even for those who have managed to break the glass ceiling it has not been easy. A couple of months ago a woman managing editor was not allowed to attend management meetings because she was a woman. She had to fight her way through. But when a man replaced her, the same objections were not extended to him.” Margaret Sembeyu

  14. Different deals

  15. Gender division of labour

  16. Who earns what?

  17. % Women Figure 13: Beat covered by women and men in Southern Africa % Men 100 80 76 80 75 71 71 59 60 41 29 40 29 25 24 20 20 0 Sports Health Political stories Gender equality Gender violence Investigative/in-depth reports The beat goes on …

  18. Questions? • Are women better suited to covering soft beats? • Is this limiting? • Is this part of bringing different perspectives and making a difference? • Real question are soft beats really “soft”?

  19. What should be done? Quotas?

  20. What other strategies? • Family friendly policies • Sexual harassment • Gender policies in news rooms

  21. Making a difference • Women role models: Gwen Lister, Pauline Banda (Ms Beijing) Ferial Haffajee. • Women in media and women sources • Women in top management and women sources

  22. Women in media/sources

  23. The critical mass • It is an awkward situation for a newspaper that champions the cause of women in editorials and reports not to practice what it preaches. It is a dent in the newspaper’s credibility, and its commitment to promoting gender equity within the framework of nation building.- Edna Machirori, Fin Gaz in Zim

  24. New men for a new era • “Men and women have different ways of seeing things. It is always good to have two versions. If today we are one of the best radio stations, it is because of parity.” • “They are more concise. Men are more artificial. They have a big contribution in radio, especially in areas like health and society. They dig deeper into things. And it is the same if you are in sport. Their work is more concise, more in-depth,” • Albert Ntoni, director of Top Congo

  25. Males and guardians • Gender parity in media house but not in content or in succession planning • Qualitative versus quantitative argument: Voices of Africa; elections. Debates: feminists. • Readership: Clashes with women; 40% women readership.

  26. Future … “The next frontier is women’s ownership of media. It is already happening in West Africa where markets are smaller and less monopolized. If you own it, you can really make an impact.”

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