Media urged to be gender responsive

ABANTU for Development, a gender based non-governmental organisation, has urged the media to do more to  promote a gender responsive media landscape in the country.

 According to the organisation, “there should be fair and balanced portrayal of men and women in the media” to open up equal development opportunities for all.

The statement was made at a strategic meeting between Abantu and some media personnel in Accra, which was aimed at enhancing gender and social responsiveness in media reporting.

Abantu is a gender and policy advocacy organisation in the West Africa sub-region, focusing on governance, peace building and climate change.

Media and gender

Making a presentation on ‘towards a gender responsive media landscape in Ghana,’ a programme officer at Abantu, Ms Afua Gyapomaa, said although the media had shown some efforts at being gender responsive, there was still gender-based stereotypes in reporting women’s actions, knowledge, expertise, concerns, opinions and viewpoints. 

She said a cursory look at the media landscape over the years showed low percentage of stories highlighting gender equality or inequality aspects of events and issues in the areas of politics, governance, economics, business, war, poverty, technology and sports among other areas.

Linking kayayei, female senior citizens and NHIS

According to her, Abantu, which had began a project with a focus on the national health insurance scheme (NHIS) and its accessibility to female head porters (popularly referred to as ‘kayayei’) and female senior citizens, had shown that there were many socio-economic issues that had implications on gender and social inclusion in health.

She said the media’s focus on areas such as geographical access to health centres, the head porter and female senior citizen’s financial access, clinics or hospitals’ opening hours not being suitable to the head porters, lack of sensitivity by some health workers and long waiting periods before one was attended to, which were all hindrances to these vulnerable groups, could be explored as story angles.

Ms Gyapomaa called for a fair portrayal of women and men in the media including equal gender portrayal in editorial content in the various media.

At the end of the meeting, the media resolved that they would work harder to help end the stereotyping of women in the media, as well as sensitising their colleagues to be more sensitive to issues on women, children and the vulnerable in the society.

Writer's email-rebecca.quaicoe-duho@.graphic.com.gh