BOOKER: Why we need more women in the top media leadership positions

Although gender equality is central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, which were set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, it remains a challenge in several organisations, including media houses. The problem is exacerbated in leadership positions. Very few women are part of the editorial decision making in the region and, even where they are present, they are oftentimes outnumbered by their male counterparts.

A recent study by Tifa Research, an African company, indicates that women hold only 27 per cent of top management positions in media organisations, yet having women at the helm of media leadership is critical to promoting diverse voices in media content.

Further research elucidates this even more clearly as it shows that only one in four people heard of or read about in media are women.

This shows that women are far less cited as news sources than men. Never mind that women make up the majority of the population in Africa and this continues to mitigate their voices and enjoyment of media freedoms.

These statistics paint a bleak picture but, as an optimist, I choose to celebrate the gains. Today, we have women siting at the helm of editorial leadership and that cannot be gainsaid. But there is a need for consensus that it can be better.

At a time when the digital revolution is affecting every aspect of the media ecosystem, one would imagine that there would be a resultant disruption to the composition of media leaders as far as gender is concerned.

Fuelling this problem is the gender ceilings, which also make it difficult for talented female journalists to experience career advancement to grow into the leadership positions.

Although there are more women pursuing journalism and media-related courses in universities and colleges, there has not been a corresponding increase in the number of women in media and, even more importantly, in managerial and leadership positions.

Two patterns of underrepresentation emerge. First, women are less likely than men to move into leadership roles within the media and journalism fields with many of them leaving newsrooms for communication jobs elsewhere.

Secondly, women are underrepresented relative to their share of the general population of women in the newsrooms. Having females at the helm of media leadership serves as a catalyst as younger generations will aspire for leadership roles.

The questions that we should, therefore, be asking is: How do we improve the scenario, and what would be the solutions on how best to bridge the gender gap in media leadership?

At the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications, we acknowledge that women’s skills and experiences are core to media development and media businesses. We continue to strive to push for that balance because we understand that it is good for media as it improves performance and outcomes. Women bring a unique set of attributes to leadership and it also promotes a more inclusive culture.

Therefore, we are taking action for equality in East Africa by empowering women in media with leadership skills through our academic programmes and professional development courses. We are continuously challenging women to explore innovative solutions in our everyday interactions with practising journalists and in our soon-to-be inaugurated innovation centre.

That way, they can confidently sit at the table of decision-making and contribute meaningfully to the business and development agenda of the media without having to be elevated just so that there is balance but since they merit it.

But for this to happen, we must also count on the support of our male colleagues at all levels. That’s the only way that we can break the glass ceilings, bring down the concrete walls and learn to walk on the sticky floors on the way to the top.

Dr Booker teaches at the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications.