The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, praised the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) for actively combating the negative media portrayal of women.
During a meeting with Kadaga, Nankwanga Eunice Kasirye, head of the IAWRT Uganda Chapter, explained that people often perceive women as the weaker sex. She pointed out that editors frequently assign female journalists simple stories at press conferences, despite their proven ability to cover war zones and conduct impactful investigative reporting.
Research confirms Kasirye’s observations. A 2022 study by the Global Media Monitoring Project revealed that editors disproportionately assign women journalists less challenging assignments compared to their male counterparts, limiting their professional growth and visibility. By advocating for equitable representation, the IAWRT actively challenges these stereotypes and promotes gender equality in the media industry.
The meeting aimed to engage the Speaker in supporting the struggle to end gender stereotyping of women in Uganda’s media industry. “With a gender-sensitive media industry, IAWRT is confident in creating equity across all sectors. We have taken the lead in developing a sustainable pool of media gender mainstreaming ambassadors to empower female journalists,” Kasirye stated.
She also urged the Speaker to support the creation of a database of female media practitioners and female news sources to ensure sustainability and collectively uplift the status of women at all levels.
