Barriers to Women Journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa

"Gender equality is a fundamental human right that many women in journalism are unable to fully enjoy, leading to feelings of disempowerment in the workplace."

This study seeks to examine the barriers hindering women in sub-Saharan Africa from entering, progressing, and/or staying in journalism and sets out to identify possible strategies, responses, and interventions that might increase the number of women journalists at various career levels. A joint publication by Fojo Media Institute and Africa Women in Media (AWiM), the report is intended for policy- and decision-makers as well as media managers who are able to effect positive change in media organisations and the journalism profession. It may also benefit grant-making bodies and other projects that support women in journalism in Africa in identifying and addressing gaps in existing programmes.

The aims and objectives of the study are broken down into the following three research questions:

1. What are the lived experiences of women journalists in sub-Saharan Africa in terms of barriers of entry, progression, and staying in the profession?
2. Why do these barriers exist?
3. How are and might these barriers be challenged in a way that results in an increase in the number, progression, and retention of women journalists in sub-Saharan Africa?

In an effort to fill gaps in established studies and to contribute to existing work in this field, the study specifically considers the following forms of barriers hindering women in journalism:

• Challenges faced in entering the journalism profession;
• Challenges faced while in the industry, relating in particular to factors that make it harder for women journalists to do the job; and
• Barriers faced in relation to progression, relating in particular to barriers to getting a promotion or an increase in pay.

The report starts with a literature review to set the foundation for the areas of focus of the study. This is followed by an outline of the methodology of the study: a mixed-method approach based on a questionnaire, focus group discussions (FGDs), and interviews. The questionnaire was completed by 125 women journalists from 17 African countries. Two FGDs were carried out, both taking a solutions and best practices approach. Outcomes of the questionnaire and FGDs were further tested through six interviews.

The findings and analyses section of the report focus on two main areas. Firstly, it looks at motivations and aspirations of women journalists, exploring why they became a journalist. Responses are categorised into three main themes: passion, societal good, and having women as role models. In addition, the study looks at how women entered the industry and how their goals related to the roles and positions they aspired to when they entered the industry have been met.

Secondly, the findings are outlined and discussed related to gendered barriers to entry and progression in the field. They are categorised in the report according to the main barriers and challenges experienced by women that emerged from the research. These are:

• Job stagnation and salary discrepancies for women in the media;
• Disparities between men and women in the distribution of job roles;
• Sexual harassment, bullying, sexism, and racial discrimination;
• Family life, particularly in relation to maternity and parental care, but also how gendered pay gaps impact this; and
• Women in media and leadership, particularly looking at barriers to obtaining leadership positions in male-dominated environments, but also at the consequences of a tokenistic approach where women are often promoted without the necessary training or mentoring.

The report concludes with five key recommendations for individuals, training institutions, policymakers, and organisational practices pertaining to women in leadership. They highlight the need for:

• Women to take ownership of their own development and empowerment;
• Journalism educators to embed gender training in their curriculum;
• Organisations to go beyond tokenism when it comes to progression and women in leadership;
• Media organisations to create maternity policies that carefully consider parental needs; and
• Gender policies to not just be set up nationally but to be implemented in media organisations.

In conclusion, AWiM and Fojo "encourage more research that looks at the ways in which women journalists are mobilising and actively addressing the challenges they face in the industry. Such research will further empower women as active change-makers in the profession."