UN, stakeholders discuss ways of improving female representation in media sector.

This was the focus of a three-day regional workshop held in Douala of the Littoral Region.

The workshop was organised by the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa, UNOCA, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO. 

The event, which opened Monday, August 12, brought together key media actors from nearly 10 African countries.

The participants assembled in Douala to share discourses on the central theme: “Men and Women in the Media: Equality and Responsibility for a Press that Promotes Peace and Democracy in Africa”.

Participants, from countries including Congo-Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, CAR, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, Sao Tome and Principe, and Chad, were invited to analyse professional dynamics and propose strategies to promote greater equality between men and women in the media sector in Central Africa. 

Also present at the workshop, were the Regional Delegate of Communication of the Littoral Region, Marie-Laure Djin Soppo Ndongo, and a representative of the Ministry of External Relations, Omgbwa Mbida. 

It should be noted that, despite the progress made, inequalities persist in the media. 

Beyond internal relations, participants were lectured on the importance of promoting gender equality in the media, in order to strengthen the role of the media in promoting peace, democracy and social justice in Central Africa.

The workshop was described as crucial, as it served as a standpoint to drive significant changes in the region’s media landscape. 

"I hope that these reflections will result in concrete recommendations, encourage greater responsibility of women in newsrooms, as well as the deconstruction of prejudices surrounding their ability to assume other functions in media structures,” Soppo Ndongo noted.

The role of the media in promoting gender equality was then reechoed by the UNOCA representative, Laurent Akobi.

He said the media is seen as a "mirror of society" before insisting on the need for equitable representation of women.

"Inequalities persist, particularly in the media field. Unfortunately, we still see today that women are often underrepresented," he lamented. 

“The place of women in the media has always been a subject of deep reflection and questioning,” he added. 

According to the UNESCO Annual Report published in 2017, out of 200 journalists in sub-Saharan Africa, only 30 are women. 

The finding from the African continent undeniably raises questions about the role and place of women in the various personal and professional spheres in the light of the social, cultural and historical context.

According to Omgbwa Mbida, women continue to have less access to ICTs and the violence they face offline extends to digital platform despite the opportunities ICT offers to empower women. 

However, Omgbwa noted that, African states have gradually gained consciousness and have employed strategies to ensure women emancipation in the media.

His views fell in line with the National President of the Cameroon Association of English-Speaking Journalists, CAMASEJ, Jude Viban.

Viban remarked that as an association, CAMASEJ has done a lot to allocate a greater portion of training opportunities to female journalists.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3200 of Friday August 16, 2024