MEDIA AND GENDER ISSUES
Independent media serve as a watchdog. They give voice to the voiceless and offer a public forum for debating on public ideas and policies. So to get whole benefits from the media development we need to focus on the gender integration.Gender Intergration is about incorporating diverse gendered opinions into daily decision making rather than focusing on only one group of society as if to get the whole benefits of media development. Inspite of this fact , still there are no clear indicators which can track the success of advancing gender goals.
There are UNESCO’s two reports on women and media. First is Gallagher report 1981 , Where is says media treatment of women is very narrow for example no country did women appear in more than 20% of news stories .This report ia also focused on that VERY FEW OR NO IN TOP EXECUTIVE POSITIONS IN MEDIA INDUSTRY,as according to Annenberg Public Policy center found that in electronic and telecommunication industry only 13% of top executive and 9% of Board members are women. Another important report that is GMMP ( Global Media Monitoring Industry ) found that women are represented only about 19% of individuals in news stories usually as Victims, mothers etc. All these studies report a “glass ceiling” effect, in which women make steady progress until reaching senior level positions, where they are denied promotion.
Not only in media Industry but Women as news source are very less in numbers . A study of women and TV news in Europe found that 25 news channels in 10 countries , a total of 1236 news stories , only 16%women were interviewees. 4TH GMMP looked at the internet as a medium of news and information. It says that only 23% women are the news subjects in online stories.
To bring more equality and transparency there are many policies that have been introduced , Like USAID (2012) released its Gender Equality and female Empowerment policy so that women can participate fully in benefit from development in media. Since the Millennium Declaration in 2000, and United World Summit in 2005, developing nation have urged to prepare national development strategies taking into account the international developmental goals agreed on in the various United Nations Summits and Conferences of the past two decades : Presumably this also includes gender and development goals. However many countries still do not have a gender component attached to their national development plan.
Basically these policies emphasis needs to be seen as an opportunity for discussion as well as some critical reflections.
There are some suggested steps for successful Gender Integration in Media Development.
Step 1 : There should be a review of Organisational Language and Commitment
Step 2: And mandate Organisational Policy On gender Equality And Women’s Empowerment.
Step 3: Ensure that Leadership and Accountability are also for Gender Equality Goals.
Step 4: Organization can gather Data for Media Specific Gender Analysis And Develop Baseline Evaluations.
Step 5: We can have advocate For Gender- Responsive Policies
Step 6: Create Space For Dialogue plus Collaboration .
Step 7:Try To Expand The Spaces For Women’s Voices.
These few steps are suggested in order to bring more participation of women in media so that we have their point of view as well and can incorporate gender equality in our Media development as above mentioned, that women not only struggle in order to be the part in decision making but also they are very few in numbers even in sourcing, online media , subjects etc.
67 Comments. Leave new
Informative.
Nice topic..!
Thank you Anshu and Anjali… 🙂
Well researched article…
Thank u Prachi…
Nice topic solution 🙂
Ya !!! Very unique…. I think we need to raise our voice 🙂
Good article!!!! ……. *awsm*
Nyc n awsm!!!
Thank u Srusti, amar, Amit and ayush for yur appreciation
Amazing information! Keep it up Akanksha! Looking forward for more such items from your side 🙂
Ya miss Jyoti…… U will find such articles more…n thank you
Good topic…….solution milega
Great effort akanksha .
I am looking forward to more such informative articles (y)
Thank you Sikha…… I will try my best to fulfill your wish 🙂
Thank you Shikha…… I will try my best to fulfill your wish 🙂
Ya…ayush even I want that we should do something for it atleast to increase the participation of women in media industry
Its an informative piecw…well researched
The statistics are surprisingly low and major steps need to be followed to bring about gender equality in every field ,also in media.But it must be noticed that with evolving times, things are improving as according to the latest IWMF global report among the rank of reporters 36% are women and among senior professionals women parity with 41% ( hopefully I have written the right numbers:D).And I’m sure in coming future numbers will soon increase.
Ya Pranshu…but these are the condition of whole word and no one is taking any initiative to change the statistics and data so what I want to say is that at least the government or administration should think about to bring more womens in media so to have proper point of view of women also
content is very nice (y) all thanks to google baba :p
and being a student of journalism atleast learn to write a good intro!!
#about_akanksha_varshney
Abhinav I respect your point of view and I know that I have to learn a lot…but for your knowledge I want to tell you that for this article I have read a whole reading of 32 pages….if u want it ask me I will send its pdf to you… Thank you
Akanksha, Iam so proud of you that you decided to write on this!
It is an amazing piece portraying the true picture of media and its biased nature for numerous young female journalists! But, your attempt to address the isuue looks like an excellent one!! Keep it up.
Thank you Miss Jyoti…u know what to be very frank female journalist are facing more restrictions in this field…we need to have a discussion and action to change these statistics… 🙂
Its a great point to discuss and to work on it…
I’m glad to see such a word from a girl… I appreciate and dedicate best wishes for her for such a keen writing. .. ☆
Diksha be a journalist student what are realised that I also have to be the part of this system if I want to be the journalist so when I decided about this and researched for the data about the women in media all what I found was very surprising so that’s why I decided to share this information online media so that I can raise my voice in front of numerous people
Nice article practically In general, now a days media continue to present both women and men in stereotyped ways that limit our perceptions of human possibilities. Typically men are portrayed as active, adventurous, powerful, aggressive and largely uninvolved in human relationships. Just as’ consistent with cultural views of gender are depictions of women as objects who are usually young, thin beautiful, passive, dependent, and often incompetent and dumb. Female characters devote their primary energies to improving their appearances and taking care of homes and people. Because media pervade our lives, the ways they misrepresent genders may distort how we see ourselves and what we perceive as normal and desirable for men and women.
Yeah I totally agree with you that represents a theatre thinking towards the different gender as it could be noticed from the data that women are generally covering the beats like lifestyle and fashion that’s all hardy 2-3 % womens are covering sports and politics beats in the whole world
Well researched!Unique topic and the content is good!
Thank you….#Tarandeep
good one 🙂
liked it 😀
Good Complilation of Information 😀
Thank you #Shubhangi and #Anirudh 🙂
superbb topic nd good topic
Thank you Ishita 🙂
Very nycly written and presented….. :-B
Ohhh!!! Awesome article…. Informative
Thank you Raj and Ayush 🙂
A unique topic !!! Like it
Thank you Priyanka
Appreciate the efforts 🙂
Thanx kirti
Nice one….:)
Thanks Manpreet…I hope u read it……. And enjoyed it….
Loved the article!
Thank u Devika 🙂
Well executed.
Amzed aftr reading this article ….grt
Thanx #Prerna..but thats the reality
Ohhh!! Reamarkable….
THANK YOU AMINA 🙂
Very well written, we should also think on how these steps reach to the appropriate authorities.
Ya #Lalit varshney we have to take the steps now
Arre wah !!!
Nyc se bhi nyc
Thank u…..
NYC info
Good work…
Ohhho …good one 😉
Thank u… Kirti,anant and Shruti
very informative ; )
you wrote really well…….keep it up 🙂
Thank yoy…Nakul and Rahul
Informative piece
Very informative
Informative and precisely expressed. Great going. (y)
Nice article 🙂