STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE GHANAIAN MEDIA: PROVIDING EVIDENCE FOR GENDER EQUALITY AND ADVOCACY PROJECT
Research report by Alliance for Women in Media Africa (AWMA) and School of Information and Communication Studies, University of Ghana
STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE GHANAIAN MEDIA: PROVIDING EVIDENCE FOR GENDER EQUALITY AND ADVOCACY PROJECT
Research report by Alliance for Women in Media Africa (AWMA) and School of Information and Communication Studies, University of Ghana
WRITTEN BY Abena A. Yeboah-Banin Ivy Mingyase Fofie Audrey Gadzekpo
FUNDED BY
The United States Embassy in Ghana
Page | i ©2020 ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN MEDIA AFRICA (AWMA) AND SCHOOL OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF GHANA
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Designed & Printed by University of Ghana Printing Press, Legon P. O. Box LG 1181 Legon, Accra, Ghana Tel: 0302 934 987 Email: [email protected] CONTENTS
List of Tables iv List of Figures iv Foreword v Good Will Message from the U.S. Embassy in Ghana vi Executive Summary vii 1.0 Introduction 01 1.1 Goal and objectives 01 2.0 Design of the study 02 3.0 Findings 03 3.1 Respondent demographics: industry and age 03 3.2 Respondent demographics: Education 03 3.3 Women’s Status within media organisations 04 3.4 What are women reporting on? 06 3.5 Work, remuneration and perceptions of equality 07 3.6 Perceptions about equal treatment: remuneration 07 3.7 Perceptions about equal treatment: Promotions 09 3.8 Perceptions about equal treatment: Career development opportunities 12 3.9 Work-life balance issues 15 3.10 Gender-based harassment 16 3.11 Organisational responses to sexual harassment 17 3.12 Digital space: Access and use 18 1.3.13 Work-related digital safety 19 4.0 Conclusions 20 5.0 Recommendations 20 5.1 Media owners/managers 21 5.2 Women in media 21 5.3 Gender advocacy and media development organisations 22 5.4 Media policy agencies 22 6.0 References 22 Acknowledgment 23
Page | iii LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Type of media organisation Page 07 Table 2 Perception of promotion equality Page 11
LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Age of respondents Page 10 Figure 2 Educational background Page 11 Figure 3 Terms of engagement Page 12 Figure 4 Position of respondent Page 12 Figure 5 What are women reporting on? Page 13 Figure 6 Beats covered by women Page 14 Figure 7 Perception about equal pay for work Page 15 Figure 8 Perceptions about equal pay across industries Page 16 Figure 9 Perceptions about promotion equality Page 18 Figure 10 Experiences of biased promotion decisions Page 18 Figure 11 Experiences of biased promotion: cross-industry Page 19 Figure 12 Existence of clear promotion guidelines Page 21 Figure 13 Perceptions about promotion criteria Page 22 Figure 14 Perceptions on org. readiness to support further study Page 23 Figure 15 Perceptions on equal access to career dev. opportunities Page 24 Figure 16 Experience of unequal access to career dev. opportunities Page 24 Figure 17 Perceptions on discrimination in beat assignments/reporting Page 24 Figure 18 Availability of written policy on gender equality Page 25 Figure 19 What will happen to your job if you were to give birth Page 26 Figure 20 Availability of baby friendly facilities Page 27 Figure 21 Inappropriate physical contact Page 28 Figure 22 Offensive comments about appearance Page 28 Figure 23 Suggestive and flirtatious looks Page 28 Figure 24 Other harassment experiences Page 28 Figure 25 Organisational response to harassment Page 29 Figure 26 Access and use of technology Page 30 Figure 27 Technology needed to enhance efficiency Page 31 Figure 28 Safety in digital spaces Page 32 iv | Page FOREWORD
SHAMIMA MUSLIM, CONVENOR, AWMA Let’s make newsrooms balanced and inclusive. “The Status of Women in the Ghanaian Media Report 2020” is groundbreaking work that seeks to provide vital data and evidence to aid advocacy towards greater representation and participation of women in our media industry.
Action changes things (ACT)! But to change systems rooted in systemic inequalities requires painstaking mobilization of those worst affected, those who benefit from the status quo and those who are apathetic. This is not an easy task to achieve, therefore a fair dose of sentiment and science is needed to drive the change we want. Our histories, cultures, economies and politics have left us with an unbalanced world and unbalanced newsrooms. Media women know what we face on a daily basis as we navigate entrenched systems to assert our rights and agency. We know it, we feel it and we talk about it. Now we have a report aggregating all of our lived experiences and aspirations, because we too matter.
The Alliance for Women in Media Africa is thus privileged to have led this process of conduct- ing this survey in collaboration with the School of Information and Communication Studies, University of Ghana and with the generous sponsorship of the US Embassy in Ghana.
It is our hope that this report will provide the baseline evidence to begin tracking progress women are making in our news media. The issues of gender-based harassment, fair remuner- ation, career progression, and work-life balance that this report covers provide critical entry points for debate and policy influence. Fifty-two percent of women have registered to vote in Ghana’s upcoming December election- is it not only fair that women have an equal shot at producing the news and creating the media narrative? Shamima Muslim
Page | v Good Will Message from the U.S. Embassy in Ghana On behalf of the U.S. Embassy in Accra, Ghana, I would like to express my heartiest congratulations to the Alliance of Women in Media in Africa (AWMA) and the School of Information and Communication Stud- ies of the University of Ghana for publishing this seminal work. The “Status of Women in the Ghanaian Media” report is an important body of work that presents a snapshot of the current state of female participation and rep- resentation in Ghana’s vast media landscape.
When approached with the opportunity to support this project, the U.S. Embassy jumped at the chance to take part in this initiative. This is because we recognize the important role a free and responsible media plays in the shaping and maintaining of a de- mocracy and believe women should be at the forefront both behind the pen and in the story itself.
Our hope is that this report will be used to make the case for intentional programs that not only work to recruit and retain female PRESS ATTACHÉ NAOMI MATTOS journalists at all levels in the newsroom but also develop and institute policies that instill gender balance in reporting. The U.S. Em- bassy is confident that the publication and dissemination of this report is an important first step.
vi | Page Executive Summary
This study was a nationwide survey of Ghanaian newsrooms that sought to establish the current status of women in the media. It interrogated among other things, the educational background, years of experience, and the positions held by respondents in newsrooms. It also explored issues such as perceptions of pay and promotion disparities between males and females; working conditions, and gender-based harassment in newsrooms. The aim was to produce empirical evidence to support advocacy on women’s equality in the media industry in Ghana.
Using Geopolls’ classification of top media houses, the study conducted a survey in selected newsrooms in ten regions of Ghana. A total of 318 female journalists from 55 radio stations, ten newspapers, ten television stations and three news websites were sampled. The findings from the study suggest a mixed picture of progress and stagnation for women in journalism. For example, while women are currently covering a wider pool of beats, including those traditionally reserved for males (such as politics and business), they are still largely assigned to ‘softer’ beats. The study also found that women are yet to break the ‘glass ceiling’ when it comes to decision-making positions and are mostly found at the lower levels of the newsroom. Furthermore, the study revealed that women are struggling to juggle family responsibilities with their work, with little support from their organisations and face gender- based harassment at the workplace.
Based on these findings, the study recommends that media managers must enact policies against gender-based discrimination and harassment. It also recommends that gender advocacy efforts must target interventions and policies in newsrooms that will build the capacity of women, protect them against harassment and discrimination, and support them to combine their work and social responsibilities.
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1.0 Introduction
Ghana’s media has experienced significant expansion since the industry was liberalized some 25 years ago. What begun the nation’s return to democracy in 1993 as a small industry with one national broadcaster (providing both TV and radio transmission services) and mostly state-owned newspapers, is today a vibrant industry made up of more than 400 operational radio stations, over 100 TV stations (NCA Q2, 2020 Report), and hundreds of newspapers and magazines, all mostly privately-owned. In addition to these are other digital media offerings, which are widely available too albeit with little reliable industry data on them. Often hailed as one of the successes of the nation’s re-democratization process, the media’s expansion has been accompanied by increased female participation, although male journalists still outnumber female journalists in most newsrooms. A 2011 study of 15 African countries suggested that women constituted 41% of the journalistic workforce of approximately 22100 people on the continent (Byerly, 2011). At the time of that study, Ghana was below the continental average as its journalistic workforce indicated a ratio of two males to one woman (Gadzekpo, 2013). Byerly’s (2011) study also reported that few women occupied senior management positions with only 28% being in governance positions (e.g. boards) and 16% in top management. There were also more men than women in full-time positions in the media and they tended to earn more than their female colleagues. Another study by Otoo and Asafu-Adjaye (2011) found that out of 257 female journalists surveyed, only 67 had access to paid maternity leave and these tended to be working in the public sector, an indication that media organisations were not in compliance with Ghana’s labour laws. Their study also showed that 67% of those surveyed said their organisations had a policy on gender equality but only half had a policy on sexual harassment. In addition, only a few media workers in Ghana had access to social security, something that was more the case for men than for women. Such findings and those from other countries suggest women’s presence and experiences in the media can differ from men in ways that may be disadvantageous. Indications are that several challenges militate against women’s progression in the media. For instance, research by the USA’s Women’s Media Center (2019) shows that women in media face countless barriers, such as gender-based discrimination, which interfere with their successful functioning and career progression. Ghana lacks current empirical data on the status of women in the media industry and the peculiar challenges they face, to inform interventions aimed at gender equality in the media. This research report aims at correcting this critical gap with evidence that can facilitate the work of gender advocacy and media development organisations and improve knowledge on the situation of women in the Ghanaian media. The Report documents the status of women on a number of issues, including working conditions, career progression opportunities, work-life balance, sexual and other gender-based harassment and digital safety.
1.1 Goal and objectives The overarching goal of the Report is to generate empirical evidence on women in Ghanaian media and to serve as a basis for engagement with different key stakeholders (e.g. media owners, editors and managers, practitioners, and regulators) on better working conditions, smoother career progression and a safer working environment for women in the media industry. It is our expectation that this Report will be used not only for advocacy and policy influencing but in training journalists to be more gender-sensitive in the workplace as well as in their reportage.
Page | 01 The specific objectives are to provide empirical evidence on: 1. Characteristics of women working in the Ghanaian media, 2. Whether or not women perceive there are gender disparities in work and remuneration, 3. How women journalists perceive career opportunities and progression within the media industry, 4. The prevailing conditions that enable women work-life balance, 5. The prevalence of gender-based harassment in newsrooms and organisational re- sponses to the problem, and 6. Digital access and safety for women.
The Report is jointly produced by the Alliance for Women in Media Africa (AWMA) and the School of Information and Communication Studies of the University of Ghana. It is funded by the United States Embassy in Ghana. Design of the study The2.0 study is derived from a survey of over 300 female media practitioners drawn from across Ghana. The sample includes journalists, editors and other professionals in the newsroom. While originally intended as a census of women in the selected media houses, this was not realized due to poor response rates. Consequently, the data is unable to provide concrete figures on the number of women working in the Ghanaian media. It does, however, present useful indications about women’s status, and working conditions in the newsroom, and the opportunities they have as well as the challenges they face in working as journalists. We first sampled media organisations in terms of regional distribution across various media types: radio, television, newspapers and online. Next we relied on various parameters to select the specific media organisations to administer our questionnaire. For radio, we used the National Communications Authority (NCA) classifications to ensure sta- tions selected included commercial, public, campus and community radio stations. To select specific commercial stations within these categories, we relied on Geopolls classification of top radio in the country per region. With consideration for regional radio distribution dynamics, the Geopoll guide was used to select the top five stations in Accra and Kumasi; top three in the Western, Central, Volta, Northern and Brong Ahafo regions; and one each from the Eastern, Upper East and Upper West regions1. Where the top radio stations in the region included a public station, we skipped to the next commercial station. For public radio, we sampled Ghana Broadcasting Corporation’s (GBC) regional stations. For community radio stations, one per region was selected guided by Geopoll’s classification. Finally, we selected seven campus radio stations from the University of Ghana, University of Education, University of Cape Coast, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana Institute of Journalism, University for Development Studies and the University for Health and Allied Sciences. This process of selection yielded a total of 55 radio stations from which respondents were sampled. For television, we also relied on Geopolls’ classification to identify and select the top 10 TV stations in the country. The sample also included seven newspaper organisations namely, Daily Guide, Business and Financial Times, Daily Dispatch, Crusading Guide, Daily Mail, Heritage and four titles from Graphic Communications Group Limited (Daily Graphic, Mirror, Graphic Showbiz, Junior Graphic). We also selected three online news websites: yen.com. Ghanaweb and Ghnews, and sampled all regional offices of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to represent the wire service in our sample.
1 The study relied on old regional classifications in Ghana.
02 | Page Within these selected organisations, research assistants targeted all females working in roles related to journalism practice. The data was collected using a 35-item semi-structured questionnaire that had both open and closed-ended questions and covered the issues indicated in the study objectives outlined above. The data collection process started with a pretest of the instrument in Accra-based newsrooms which were not part of the sample. While the original intention was to administer the questionnaire online, the pilot study led to a decision to revise this strategy and conduct in-person questionnaire administration. Thus a national coordinator, and 10 regional coordinators were recruited and trained to facilitate the recruitment and training of research assistants. These assistants went round the selected stations to administer the questionnaires. In all 318 questionnaires were completed and returned after a six-week period. Findings This3.0 section presents findings from the survey. It is organized into sub themes on the different issues explored in the study. It starts by providing some demographic information on women in the media industry in Ghana. This is followed by findings on their working conditions, respondents’ perceptions about equal treatment, work-life balance issues, gender-based harassment experi- ences, and access to digital technology and safety in the cyberspace.
3.1 Respondent demographics: industry and age More than half of the respondents (62%) came from radio. This is followed by TV (20%), online (12%) and newspapers (6%). Respondents were generally young with 90 percent of them aged between of 18 and 39 years.
Fig 1: Age of respondents
1% 0%
8%
35% 56%
18-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
1.3.2 Respondent demographics: Education More than half the sample had formal media/journalism training with the majority at the
Page | 03 diploma and bachelors level (49%). Only six percent had a master’s degree in media and journalism studies. The remaining either had diplomas or degrees from other disciplines
(30%) or had been beneficiaries of short courses and on-the-job training.
6 | Page
3.2 Respondent demographics: Education More than half the sample had formal media/journalism training with the majority at the diploma and bachelors level (49%). Only six percent had a master’s degree in media and journalism studies. The remaining either had diplomas or degrees from other disciplines (30%) or had been beneficiaries of short courses and on-the-job training.
Fig 2: Educational background of respondents Masters (other discipline), 6.1 Others, 6.1 Media (Diploma), Degree (Other 30.3 discipline), 11.9
Diploma (other discipline), 6.1
Media/journalism (Others), 14.2 Media (degree), 18.7
Media (Masters), 6.5
The fact that only six percent of respondents had a master’s degree may e part the The fact that only six percent of respondents had a master’s degree may be part of the reason reas nwomen men are not arefound n t up n the organisationald p the rganisati n ladder. Howeveral ladder other e er factors such ther as poor act rs pay s andch as long unpredictable working hours may account for an attrition of women in the media industry before they rise to the top. Previous studies elsewhere have established that journalists who p r pay and l ng npredicta le r ing h rs may acc nt r an attriti n men in pursue further education in media and communication tend to move to other media-related jobs such as public relations and advertising where salaries are usually more attractive (Viererbl the& Koch,media 2019) ind stry e re they rise t the t p re i s st dies else here ha e esta lished
that3.3 rnalistsWomen’s Status h p rs e within media rther organisations ed cati n in media and c mm nicati n tend t m e Regarding the terms of their engagement, less than half of the respondents (40%) had full time t regular ther employmentmedia related with s their s organisations. ch as p lic The relati ns rest were and either ad ertising interning here(17.7%), salaries unpaid are volunteers (11.9%), on contract (10%), part time (9.3%), national service persons (6.8%) or s allyfree lancing m re (1.6). attracti e The majority ierer l of respondents ch (74%) are generally found at the lower levels of the organisational hierarchy, occupying staff positions such as senior and junior reporters. Less than 30 percent of the women sampled are in management roles; of these most are in middle 1.3.3management Women’s S(20%)tatus as within opposed media to organisationssenior management (5%) or hold positions as executive egardingheads (1%). the terms their engagement less than hal the resp ndents had ll
time reg lar empl yment ith their rganisati ns he rest ere either interning
npaid l nteers n c ntract part time nati nal ser ice pers ns 04 | Page r ree lancing he ma rity resp ndents are generally nd at the
l er le els the rganisati nal hierarchy cc pying sta p siti ns s ch as seni r and
7 | Page
nior reporters ess than percent of the omen sampled are in mana ement roles of these most are in middle mana ement as opposed to senior mana ement or hold positions as exec tive heads
Fig Fig.3:Terms 3: Terms of respondents'of respondents' Fig 4:Positions held by engagementengagement respondents
40.5 1% xec tive head 1% 5% 7% 5% 7% enior mana ement 22% 20% xec tive head iddle mana ement enior mana ement 20% 17.7 enior eporter 22% iddle mana ement 11.9 enior eporter nior eporter 10.3 9.3 5% 19% nior6.8 eporter rod ction and 21% 1.9 esi n echnical 1.6 rod ction and 5% rofessional esi n echnical 19% ntern ational rofessional 21% ervice
ther
The he lacklac ofof women omen in in senior senior and and top top management mana ement may may have have something somethin to doto withdo ith the relativelythe short years of experience respondents tended to have. Nearly half of the respondents (48%) have onlyrelatively up to threeshort years years of experienceof experience in media respondents and journalism tended work. to Ashave the number early ofhalf years of increase,the there is a corresponding decrease in the number of the respondents. The relatively young age and fewrespondents years of industry have experience only p ofto thethree majority years of of experience respondents in mediais an indication and o rnalism of women’s or early exit from journalism careers. s the n m er of years increase there is a correspondin decrease in the n m er of the respondents he relativelyFig5:Respondent yo n a e and fe years experienceof ind stry experience of the ma ority of respondents is an indication of women’s5.6 early exit from o rnalism careers 7.3
17.6 48.2 8 | Page
21.3
1-3 4-7 8-12 13-17 18+
Page | 05 necdotal e idence s ggests that omen lea e the ind stry relati ely early eca se they find it challenging to com ine the demands of o rnalism ith other social responsi ilities s ch as marriage and children The short span of respondents’ experience may also have to do ith the fact that mainstream media professions are sometimes deemed a stepping stone to more l crati e roles in p lic relations and other comm nication related o s in the corporate orld th s they do not s stain long career in o rnalism
hate er the reason that acco nts for respondents’ limited experience it is a matter of concern eca se of the possi ility it presents that omen do not stay in the ind stry long eno gh to ma e a name for themsel es or rise to higher positions here they can infl ence the systemic ine alities ithin the o rnalism ind stry
1.3.4 What are women reporting on? enerally respondents did not ha e clearly defined eats as most referred to themsel es as reporting general ne s stories t appears the norm is to report on stories depending on
hat is a aila le to co er on a partic lar day hile this may e a practice in most ne s
9 | Page
Anecdotal evidence suggests that women leave the industry relatively early because they find it challenging to combine the demands of journalism with other social responsibilities, such as marriage and children. The short span of respondents’ experience may also have to do with the fact that mainstream media professions are sometimes deemed a stepping stone to more lucrative roles in public relations and other communication-related jobs in the corporate world thus they do not sustain long career in journalism. or anisations in ana it may also hinder women’s growth because journalists w o Whatever the reason that accounts for respondents’ limited experience it is a matter of concern s e iali e in arti lar areas of o era e are more li ely to ma e ro ress in t e me ia because of the possibility it presents that women do not stay in the industry long enough to make a name for themselves or rise to higher positions where they can influence the systemic in stry t an t ose w o o not o erin s e ifi eats ena les re orters to ain ee er inequalities within the journalism industry. nowle e on a i en s e t e ome ex erts an il sef l networ s t at en an e 3.4 What are women reporting on? Generally,t eir areers respondents did not have clearly defined beats, as most referred to themselves as reporting general news stories. It appears the norm is to report on stories depending on what is available to cover on a particular day. While this may be a practice in most news organisations in eGhana, st y it mayfin s also owe er hinder t atwomen’s w ere growth t ey a because a sem lan e journalists of efine who specialize eats as in s ownparticular in areas of coverage are more likely to make progress in the media industry than those who do not.t e Covering wor lo specific elow beats women enables a e reporters ma e in toroa s gain into deeper t e ‘maleknowledge ominate on a ’given omains subject, of become experts, and build useful networks that enhance their careers. so alle ar news eats s as oliti s an siness lt o many are still onfine The study finds, however, that where they had a semblance of defined beats, as shown in the wordto so cloud alle below, soft newswomen e atshave e made so ial in-roads ealt into entertainment the ‘male dominated’ sanitation domains an en er of so-called an hard news beats, such as politics and business. Although many are still confined to so-called softfeel news ettoi beatse (e.g. social, health, entertainment, sanitation and gender) and feel ghettoized.
Fig i 6: beats eats covered o ere yby res on entsrespondents
1.3.5 Work, remuneration and perceptions of equality
10 | Page 06 | Page 3.5 Work, remuneration and perceptions of equality The study found that salaries of respondents started from as low as GHC 150 a month. Averagely respondents earn up to GHC 1,000 monthly. Over two-thirds of the respondents (72%) earned between GHC 150 and GHC 1,000. While not all respondents revealed how much they earned, of the nearly 200 respondents who answered this question, only 14 percent earn anything above GHC 2000. Salaries in the media industry in Ghana are notoriously low and the study’s findings are a confirmation of some of the factors that make journalism practice unattractive, especially for women who must choose between long hours of work with low pay and juggling family re- sponsibilities.
Table 1: TYPE OF MEDIA ORGANISATION
Monthly salary Radio Newspaper Online Television Total 3 0 0 2 5 No payment 2.7% 0.0% 0.0% 6.9% % 83 9 14 12 118 Up to 1000 76.9% 75% 66.7% 41.4% 100% 15 2 5 10 32 From 1000 to 2000 13.8% 16.7 23.7% 34.5% 100% 4 0 1 5 10 From 2000 to 3000 3.7% 0.0% 4.8% 17.2% 100% 2 0 0 0 2 From 3000 to 4000 1.9% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 100% 1 1 1 0 3 From 4000 to 5000 1% 8.3% 4.8% 0.0% 100% 108 12 21 29 170 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0% 100% 100%
3.6 Perceptions about equal treatment: remuneration Respondents are divided on the issue of equal pay for equal work. Nearly half the respondents (42%) hold the view that they earn similar to their male colleagues for doing the same work while about the same number (43%) was unsure. The sizeable number of respondents who perceived that there might be a gender pay gap is reason for concern although there is need for further studies to prove more concrete evidence to illuminate these findings.
Page | 07
although there is need for further studies to prove more concrete evidence to illuminate
these findings.
Fig 7: Perceptions about equal pay for equal work
43.4 42.4
Yes No Not sure
14.2
Across radio, newspaper, online and television industries, there are no significant differences in perceptions of pay disparity. That said, it is interesting to note the fact that the TV industry has the cross highest scoreradio for perceptionnewspaper of pay online disparity and(16%), television followed closely industries by radio (14%). there This areis no significant interesting considering that these are the more popular media in the country. The case of TV
is evendifferences more insightful in perceptions given popular of allusions pay disparity. to TV as a hat woman’s said medium it is interesting which welcomes to note the fact that more women on the screen (Shattuc, 2014). the industryFig has8: Perception the highest of payscore equality for perception across industries of pay disparity followed closely
y60.00% radio . his is interesting considering52.90% that these are the more popular media in the 50.00% 46.30% 50.00% 43.60% 40.00% 39.40% 37.50% 38.20% country.40.00% he case of is even more insightful given popular allusions to TV as a woman’s
30.00% medium which welcomes more women on the screen Shattuc 16.40% . 20.00% 14.30% 12.50% 8.80% 10.00%
0.00% Radio Newspaper Online Television
Yes No Not sure Reasons for the perceived pay disparities centre on two factors – low prestige of beats assigned to and covered by women and unfavourable work schedules. It appears some managers/editors easons or the ercei ed ay dis arities centre on two actors – low restige o beats give ‘important’ assignment to males under the pretext of protecting the women, as indicated by this respondent: assignedThey to and usually co ered assign by us women{females} and to beats un a ourable that are supposed wor schedules to protect tus. a ears For some example, my editor will say that women can report better on health issues and managers/editorswomen and give children ‘important’ issues. Soassignment if let’s say thereto males is electoral under violencethe pretext somewhere of protecting the they will say a guy should go because they can easily escape when something women happens. as indicated But bythen, this those res ondent situations bring good stories and the men will have their by-lines on those stories (reporter for 3 years with a radio station in Accra).
12 | hey Page usually assign us emales to beats that are su osed to rotect us or Page 08 | e am le my editor will say that women can re ort better on health issues and women and children issues. So if let’s say there is electoral violence somewhere they will say a guy should go because they can easily esca e when something ha ens ut then those situations bring good stories and the men will ha e their by lines on those stories re orter or years with a radio station in ccra
uch discrimination in assigning stories results in the erce tion that it is the male
journalists who do the im ortant wor that bring in the income and there ore are deser ing
o romotion and better ay urthermore the ractice results in male journalists ha ing
‘important’ industry contacts rom whom they can get scoo s and other stories thus
rein orcing the erce tion o their im ortance
13 | Page
Such discrimination in assigning stories results in the perception that it is the male journalists who do the important work that bring in the income and therefore are deserving of promotion and better pay. Furthermore, the practice results in male journalists having ‘important’ industry contacts from whom they can get scoops and other stories, thus reinforcing the perception of their importance. Secondly, respondents indicated that women’s relative time inflexibility may be a reason for the perceived pay disparities. As one argues (reporter for 5 years with a TV station in Kumasi), male journalists may earn more because of “the shifts they {males} work and the important stories that may break within such shifts.” The import of this is that because some women have difficulty working all (and odd) hours due to family responsibilities, they lose out on important reporting opportunities which bring visibility and facilitate the rise up the organisational ladder.
3.7 Perceptions about equal treatment: Promotions Irrespective of what men and women presently earn (and any inequalities therein), the opportu- nities available for women to position themselves for career advancement is key to determining what the future holds for women in the journalism industry. The study explored perceptions held about a number of career progression issues, including promotion and professional development opportunities. Findings were generally mixed.
The majority of respondents (62%) perceive equal chances of promotion on their jobs. However, 12% did not think that they had the same chances as their male colleagues for being promoted, while the reminder of respondents was unsure. In effect therefore, for every three women sampled, one is either unsure of equal chances of promotion or feels disadvantaged in this regard.
Across industries, we see a similar ratio of at least one in every three women having a perception of promotion inequality or being unsure of equal opportunities. However, a closer look at the data shows that some industries fare better than others on this issue. The newspaper industry is the worst with one in every two women either perceiving unequal promotion practices or being unsure of equal treatment.
Fig 9: Perceptions about promotion equality
Not sure
Yes No Yes No Not sure
It is curious to note, however, the finding relative to whether respondents have experienced unfair, t gendered is urious promotion to not decisions ow r show t an in in overwhelming r lati majority to w t r (93%) said r spon nts they have not a p ri n been passed over in promotions. un air n r promotion isions s ow an o rw lmin ma orit sai t Page | 09 a not n pass o r in promotions
Fig 10: Experience of biased promotion decisions
7.3
92.7
Yes No
s t is to su st t at t p r ptions an un rtainti s a out ispariti s in promotion
opportuniti s r port a o ar rawn rom i arious p ri n s n ot r wor s mi t
it t at n t ou som r spon nts p r i in ualit in promotional opportuniti s
15 | Page
Fig 9: Perceptions about promotion equality
Not sure
Yes No Yes No Not sure
t is urious to not ow r t in in r lati to w t r r spon nts a p ri n
un air n r promotion isions s ow an o rw lmin ma orit sai t
a not n pass o r in promotions
Fig 10: Experience of biased promotion decisions
7.3
92.7
Yes No
Is this s t is to suggest to su st that the t at perceptions t p r ptions and uncertainties an about un rtainti s disparities in a out promotion ispariti s oppor- in promotion tunities reported above are drawn from vicarious experiences? In other words, might it be that the a not ha e personall experienced discri ination b t ha e or ed these even though some respondents perceive inequality in promotional opportunities, they may not haveopportuniti s personally experienced r port discrimination a o ar but rawn have romformed i arious these perceptions p ri n s based on n other ot r wor s mi t people’sperceptions experiences? based on other people’s experiences? it t at n t ou som r spon nts p r i in ualit in promotional opportuniti s
15 | PageFig 11: Experience of biased promotion decisions across industries 0.8 0.7 26.70% 64.90% 66.70% 61.30% 0.6 46.70% 26.70% 0.5 0.4 ercent 25.80% Yes 0.3 24.30% 21.70% No 0.2 10.80% 11.70% Not sure 0.1 12.90% 0 Radio Newspaper Online Television Industry
The he patterns patterns across across positions positions are not are so not clear so clearcut, however.c t ho e er While hilemajority a orit of respondents o respondents perceived there was equality, at all levels there were women who were either unsure or thought therepercei ed was gender there inequality as e alit in promotions. at all le els there ere o en ho ere either ns re or
tho ht there as ender ine alit in pro otions
10 | Page able
Position Perception of promotion Executive Senior Middle Senior Junior equality head management management Reporter Reporter Other Total Yes 2 10 37 35 41 57 182 66.7% 71.4% 61.7% 67.3% 66.1% 62.3% No 0 3 7 11 7 11 39 0.0% 21.4% 11.7% 21.2% 11.3% 13.4% Not sure 1 1 16 6 14 33 71 33.3% 7.1% 26.7% 11.5% 22.6% 24.3% Total 3 14 60 52 62 101 292 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
16 | Page
Table 2
POSITION
Perception Executive Senior Middle Senior Junior of promotion head management management Reporter Reporter Other Total equality
2 10 37 35 41 182 Yes 66.7% 71.4% 61.7% 67.3% 66.1% 57 62.3% 0 3 7 11 7 39
No 0.0% 21.4% 11.7% 21.2% 11.3% 11 13.4% 1 1 16 6 14 71 Not sure 33.3% 7.1% 26.7% 11.5% 22.6% 33 24.3% he sense o ncertaint abo t pro otion a ste ro the act that ost edia 3 14 60 52 62 101 292 Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% or anisations do not appear to ha e clear pro otion idelines ort three percent o
respondents did not no hether their or anisations ha e pro otion idelines and The sense of uncertainty about promotion may stem from the fact that most media organisations do not appear to have clear promotion guidelines. Forty-three percent of respondents did not know whetheranother their organisations said theirhave promotion or anisation guideliness had and noanother idelines 16% said their organisations had no guidelines.
Fig 12: Existence of clear promotion guidelines
43.6 39.9
16.5
Yes No Not sure
his is clearl proble atic as it eans that pro otion decisions a be s b ecti el ade
and a disad anta e o en i en the eneral c lt ral penchant Page or | 11 ale leadership
his indin a also partl explain h so e o en exist in the hi her echelons o
edia or anisations t is eas to concei e o ho ale cron is in a ale do inated
ind str s ch as still pertains in hana a conspire ith c lt ral nor s to sideline
o en in pro otion decisions
o probe deeper e as ed respondents hat the tho ht as the ain criterion sed in
pro otin e plo ees in their or anisations esponses indicate eas res s ch as
17 | Page
per or ance ollo ed b lon ser ice are a or actors sed to deter ine pro otion This is clearly problematic as it means that promotion decisions may be subjectively made and may o e er disadvantage s b ecti e women, given considerations the general cultural s ch penchant as for a o ritis male leadership. ere This findingconsidered a pri ar may also partly explain why so few women exist in the higher echelons of media organisations. It is easy to conceive of how male cronyism in a male dominated industry such as still pertains in Ghana,pro otion may conspire criterion with cultural b nine norms percent to sideline o women respondents in promotion his decisions. eans that or e er ten
To proberespondents deeper, we at asked least respondents one o the what thin s they thought the onl was the a main the criterion are oin used in to pro et- pro oted is b moting employees in their organisations. Responses indicate measures such as performance, followedco rtin by long the service a o are r o major their factors bosses used histo determine a es promotion. o en partic larl However, subjective lnerable considerations such as favouritism, were considered a primary promotion criterion by nine per- cent of respondents. This means that for every ten respondents at least one of them thinks the only way they are going to get promoted is by courting the favour of their bosses. This makes women particularly vulnerable.
Fig 13: Perceptions about promotion criteria
Not sure Long service 30% 15%
Favoritism Performance 9% 46%
e e ons o e e men ee e e o men o o n es 3.8 Perceptions e ardin aboutcareer equal de elop ent treatment: Career opport nities development e opportunities re resher co rses rther st dies Regarding career development opportunities (e.g. refresher courses, further studies, learning tours etc.), majority of respondents (65%) felt their organisations would be supportive. This is assuminglearnin of course to rs that etc they have a orit met whatever o respondents criteria exists in the organisation elt their that or anisationqualifies s o ld be them for further study. However, a significant 35% of respondents were either unsure of such organisationals pporti e support his or isfelt ass in it simply did o not co rse exist. To that the extent the that ha e further et study hate er is one of criteriathe exists in the key pathways to career progression, the fact that a third of the sample think their organisation may not be supportive has implications for how women map their career trajectory. or anisation that ali ies the or rther st d o e er a si ni icant o
respondents ere either ns re o s ch or anisational s pport or elt it si pl did not
exist o the extent that rther st d is one o the e path a s to career pro ression the
12 | Page
18 | Page
fact that a third of the sample thin their or anisation ma not be s pporti e has
implications for ho omen map their career tra ector
Fig 14:Perceptions about organisational readiness to facilitate respondents' further study
32%
57%
11%
Yes No Not sure
Further studies aside, several other career development opportunities exist by way of work- shops, training seminars, study tours etc. which media organisations are frequently asked to nominate rther participants st dies asidefor. The se estudyral explored other whether career access de elopment to such opportunities opport nities among e ist b a of employees is perceived to be fairly balanced. A slight majority of respondents (57%) consider themselves or shops to be trainin as equally seminars positioned as st d their male to rs colleagues etc hich to access media career or anisations development are fre entl opportunities, however, the cumulative size (43%) of those who perceive inequality in career e tentdevelopment that perceptions opportunities are or st are as unsure po erf l of equality as realit is quite the problematic. fact that omen in the media Thereas ed is a silverto nominate lining though asparticipants this appears tofor be more he perceptual st d thane plored experiential hether (real). Only access to s ch holdabout s ch three perceptions percent of respondents calls for attention indicated havingas mere been perception discriminated ma against pre ent in the them selection from ofopport nities who benefits from amon career developmentemplo ees opportunities. is percei ed However, to be to fairl the extent balanced that perceptions sli ht ma orit of accessin are just as opport nities powerful as reality, the fact that women in the media hold such perceptions calls for attention as mere perception may prevent them from accessing opportunities. respondents consider themsel es to be as e all positioned as their male collea es
Fig 15: Perceptions on equal Fig 16: Experience of unequal to accessaccess career to career de elopment dev. opport nities access ho e er to career the advancement c m lati e si e of those opportunities opportunities
ho percei e ine alit in career de elopment opport nities2.5% or are ns re of e alit is
ite problematic 32%
57% here is a sil er linin tho h as this appears to be more97.5% percept al than e periential real 11% nl abo t three percent of respondents indicated ha in been discriminated a ainst in
the selectionYes Noof hoNot sure benefits from career de elopmentYes No opport nities o e er to the
similar19 | Page pattern applies to beat assi nments o called ‘important’ beats can facilitate the Page | 13 acc m lation of important contacts that then ser e as so rces of stories and scoops and facilitate career ro th he ma orit of respondents do not consider themsel es to be at the recei in end of nfair beat responsibilit assi nments his is enco ra in b t presents a s rprisin contrast to the fact that beat assi nment discrimination appears to be at the centre of percei ed pa disparities
20 | Page
A similar pattern applies to beat assignments. So-called ‘important’ beats can facilitate the accumulation of important contacts that then serve as sources of stories and scoops and fa- cilitate career growth. The majority of respondents (92%) do not consider themselves to be at the receiving end of unfair beat/responsibility assignments. This is encouraging but presents a surprising contrast to the fact that beat assignment discrimination appears to be at the centre
of perceived pay disparities.
Fig 17: Perception of discrimination in beat/role assignment
23.2 No, 23.2 23
22.8
22.6
22.4 Yes, 22.2 22.2
22
21.8
21.6
Underlying these lies the bigger question of what framework exists in media organisations to shape how men and women relate to each other. Simply put are there gender equality policies in Ghanaian newsrooms? Less than a quarter of the organisations sampled have policies that promote nderlyi genderng equality. these Thelies majoritythe bigger of respondents uestion of sampled what framework were either e istsnot sure in of media the organisations existence of such a policy (55%) or said their organisations did not have any (23%). As our findingsto shapeshow, ahow substantial men andnumber women of the relaterespondents to each were other unsure. imply of being puttreated are asthere equal gender e uality to their male colleagues when it comes to salaries, promotions and professional development opportunities. Equal pay and opportunities do not only need to exist for women, disparities betweenpolic themies andin Ghanaian men need tonewsrooms be seen to be essbeing thanaddressed. a uarter of the organisations sampled ha e
policies thatFig promote 18: Does gender your organisation e uality. he have ma ority a written of respondents sampled were either policy on gender equality? not sure of the e istence of such a policy or said their organisations did not ha e any
.60 s our findings show a substantial number of the respondents were unsure of being
50 treated as e ual to their male colleagues when it comes to salaries promotions and 40
professional30 de elopment opportunities. ualNot pay sure and, 54.6 opportunities do not only need to
e ist 20for women disparities between them and men need to be seen to be being addressed. Yes, 22.2 No, 23.2 10
0
14 | Page
1.3.9 Work-life balance issues recurrent theme in discussions about factors derailing women’s career progression is
time off from work for maternal duties. n this study we e plored the e tent to which the
21media | Page industry in Ghana makes room for women to combine their work with their
maternal roles and found that generally pregnancy poses little threat to women’s work.
ost respondents said getting pregnant will either cause no change to their work or
lead to their schedules being ad usted to offer them fle ibility . owe er some fi e
percent of respondents felt they might lose their obs if they were to get pregnant. e also
found women did not feel their obs were at risk when they ga e birth although a larger
number of respondents indicated their work schedules would be ad usted. his conforms
to statutory maternity lea e re uirements in Ghana’s labour laws.
22 | Page
3.9 Work-life balance issues A recurrent theme in discussions about factors derailing women’s career progression is time off from work for maternal duties. In this study we explored the extent to which the media industry in Ghana makes room for women to combine their work with their maternal roles and found that generally, pregnancy poses little threat to women’s work. Most respondents said getting pregnant will either cause no change to their work (39%) or lead to their schedules being adjusted to offer them flexibility (37%). However, some five percent of respondents felt they might lose their jobs if they were to get pregnant. We also found women did not feel their jobs were at risk when they gave birth, although a larger number of respondents indicated their work schedules would be adjusted. This conforms to statutory maternity leave requirements in Ghana’s labour laws.
Fig 19: What will happen to your job if you were to… 60 48.7% 50 38.8% 40 36.8%
30 21.9% 24.1% 18.9% 20
10 5.2% 5% 0.3% 0.3% 0 othing will chedule don t know ay lose my ob ther change ad usted
Get pregnant today Delivered today
Newsrooms ewsrooms may be may complying be complying with the law onwith maternity the law leave on but maternity have no structures lea e in but place ha e to no structures in support mothers. An overwhelming majority of media organisations (94%) have no baby-friendly facilities such as breastfeeding rooms where lactating mothers can express milk for their babies or keepplace their to babiessupport if circumstances mothers. require n o erwhelming that they bring them ma ority to work. of Only media six percent organisation of s ha e respondents indicated the existence of a breastfeeding room in their organisation. The picture is even worse for nurseries that allow women to bring their babies to the office when need be. Only twono percent baby of friendly respondents facilities indicated such the existence as breastfeeding of a nursery. rooms where lactating mothers can e press
milk for their babies or keep their babies if circumstances re uire that they bring them to
work. nly si percent of respondents indicated the e istence of a breastfeeding room in
their organisation. he picture is e en worse for nurseries that allow women to bring their
babies to the office when need be. nly two percent of respondents indicated the e istence
of a nursery. Page | 15
23 | Page
t o t
Yes No
94.3% 97.8%
5.7% 2.2%
t oo
Women need such facilities to enable them effectively combine their work and social respon- sibilities. omen For instance, need suchthe presence facilities of babyto enable friendly themfacilities effecti ely ensure that combinewomen can their bring work and social their babies to work, where necessary, so they can stay longer at work without feeling overly apprehensiveresponsibilities. about fulfilling or their instance social responsibilities. the presence of baby friendly facilities ensure that women
3.10 canGender-based bring their harassment babies to work where necessary so they can stay longer at work without Existing evidence suggests that media industries are active breeding grounds for gender- based harassment (Mueller et al, 2014). Like many other workplaces women who work in the media sufferfeeling various o erlyforms of apprehensi e harassment, including about inappropriate fulfilling their touching, social sexual responsibilities coercion, physical. violence, and sharing of unsolicited materials and conversations with sexual undertones. We explored these possibilities by asking respondents a series of questions on their experience of gender-based1.3.10 Gender harassment-based and harassment found evidence of gender-based harassment in the Ghanaian media isting industry. Thee idence most common suggests forms that of harassmentmedia industries are inappropriate are acti e physical breeding contact groundsand for gender offensive comments about one’s physical appearance (23% each), followed by suggestive and flirtatious looks (16%). based harassment ueller et al . ike many other workplaces women who work in
o t the media o t t suffer arious forms of harassment including inappropriate t touching se ual o t t t o oo o t coercion physical iolence and sharing of unsolicited materials and con ersations with 23% 23% 16% se ual undertones. e e plored these possibilities by asking respondents a series of 84%
uestions77% on their e perience of gender based harassment and found e idence of gender 77%
based harassment in the Ghanaian media industry. he most common forms of harassment Yes No Yes No Yes No are inappropriate physical contact and offensive comments about one’s physical
espondentsappearance also reported each suffer followeding erbal by harassment suggesti e in theand form flirtatious of comments looks suggesting . 16 | Page they were less capable because of their se . and other forms of erbal abuse . .
hey24 also | Page faced ictimi ation for not gi ing in to se ual ad ances . were sub ected to
the sharing of unsolicited and offensi e se ual images . and physical iolence . .
t t
100%
80%
60% 89.6 91.4 93.6 94.9 96.8 40%
20% 10.4 8.6 6.4 5.1 3.2 0% Presumed as Verbal abuse Victimisation Offensive Physical incapable images violence
Yes No
25 | Page
o t o t t t o t t t o oo o t
23% 23% 16%
84%
77% 77%
Yes No Yes No Yes No
espondents also reported suffering erbal harassment in the form of comments suggesting
they were less capable because of their se . and other forms of erbal abuse . .
Respondents hey also facedalso reported ictimi ation suffering forverbal not harassment gi ing in into the se ual form ad ancesof comments . suggesting were they sub ected to were less capable because of their sex (10.4%), and other forms of verbal abuse (8.6%). They alsothe faced sharing victimization of unsolicited for not giving and in offensi e to sexual advancesse ual images (6.4%), . were subjected and physical to the sharing iolence . . of unsolicited and offensive sexual images (5.1%), and physical violence (3.2%).
t t
100%
80%
60% 89.6 91.4 93.6 94.9 96.8 40%
20% 10.4 8.6 6.4 5.1 3.2 0% Presumed as Verbal abuse Victimisation Offensive Physical incapable images violence
Yes No
The occurrence of these varied forms of workplace harassment strongly suggests an unsafe working environment for women in Ghanaian media.
3.11 Organisational responses to sexual harassment Not only did the survey find newsrooms could be toxic for women, the findings indicate a lack of commitment in addressing the problem. Most of the media organisations sampled in the study have no codes or policies to fight harassment. Only 27.8% of respondents said there was a codified policy on sexual harassment in their newsrooms. Half the sample of respondents could not25 even | Page tell whether their organisations have such a policy. In other words, even if such policies exist, awareness on them is low and thus employees are unlikely to seek redress if they encounter problems. The widespread absence of institutional guidelines for addressing harassment means victims may be offered little protection, while perpetrators may either get away with inappropriate behaviours or face only light sanctions that may not be a deterrent for others.
Page | 17 Fig. 25: Organizational responses to harassment 100.0 93% 83.1% 80.0 60.0 49.2% 40.0 27.8%22.7% 16.9% 20.0 7% 0.0 Harassment Harassment Harassment policy committee complaint ignored
Yes No Not sure
Developing policy (whether on equality or harassment) is not enough if they are not implemented. TheProfile real litmus of partners test is for organisations to actively institute operational mechanisms (e.g. action committees),The Alliance create for Women awareness in Media, about Africa their redress(AWMA) processes, is a progressive, and resource non-partisan, them nonto function-governmental network based adequately. Most organisations sampled (83%) do not appear to have a committee for inves- in Ghana dedicated to empowering and networking women in media, advocating greater visibility representation of tigating and adjudicating sexual harassment. This notwithstanding, it appears that reports of women in media, inspired by the work of other similar networks around the world. We envision a media industry harassment tend to be taken seriously as 93 percent of respondents indicated that when they where women are trained, re-trained visible and in positions of influence and power to contribute to an inclusive global have had occasion to make such complaints, action has been taken. discourse where the voices, stories, experiences and images of African women and girls are correctly, sufficiently and equally represented. 3.12 Digital space: Access and use MuchOur like mission other spheresis to identify, of life, train media and industries retrain, support, have become connect, heavily protect reliant and reward on technology African Womenand across the Media useindustry them in dailyfor their newsroom contribution routines. tow However,ards changing access the to andAfrican ability media to use narrative. technology Our can programmatic be themes are gendered.empowerment, The study network, explored voice, the advocacy state of women’s and honours, access with and our capacitycore programmes to effectively being use‘WiM’ new Rising, End Violence technologiesand Governance in their and work. Accountability. The findings show that generally, accessing work-related technology is easy for respondents. At least 75% of those who answered this question fall somewhere on You can contact AWMA via: the continuum of easy access to technology for doing their work. e-mail: [email protected] FB: Alliance for Women in Media Africa Twitter/Instagram: @awmaafrica
The School of Information and Communication Studies (SICS) aims at improving and extending the frontiers of Information and Communication dissemination and management through effective teaching, learning and research. It has two sub-units - the Department of Communication Studies and the Department of Information Studies. The School focuses on developing world-class students who are skilled, versatile, creative and ready to take up positions in local and global information and communication industries. It also aims at producing innovative research to reflect the evolutions in the creation, dissemination and exploitation of knowledge and the impact of new forms of media and communication on people’s lives.
You can contact SICS via P.O Box LG 1181, Legon, Accra, Ghana. Telephone Number: 0302909786 Email: [email protected] 18 | Page
Fig 26: Access and use of technology
0.7% 5.6% 6.7% 100% 20.1% 34.7% 80% 27.9% 60% 24.7% 16.8% 40% 29.6% 33.3% 20%
0% Ease of access Ease of use
Extremely easy Very easy Easy Difficult Extremely difficult
The picture is even better with regard to their ability to use such technology for their work. Only e t e s e en ette w t e a d to t e a t to se s te no o fo t e wo about seven percent of respondents who answered this question indicated some difficulty with using technology for their work. The remaining find it extremely easy (33%), very easy (25%) or n a o t se en e ent of es ondents w o answe ed t s est on nd ated so e easy (35%). d ff t w t s n te no o fo t e wo e e a n n f nd t e t e e eas 3.13 Work-related digital safety The study also finds that respondents generally feel safe online with some 75% indicating so. e eas o eas However, a quarter of all respondents said they suffer cyber bullying in their line of work and feel unsafe online, with more than a tenth of them reporting having experienced some form of cyber bullying. Clearly1.3.13 Work female-related journalists digital have safetyno problem accessing and navigating technology but have a significant e minorityst d a so have f nds safety t at concerns es ond inents the ene a using digital fee technologies. safe on ne w t so e nd at n
so owe e a a te of a t es ondents t sa d t e s ffe e n n t e ne of
wo and fee nsafe on ne w t o eYes t anNo a tent of t e e o t n a n e e en ed
so e fo of e n ea fe a e o na sts87.7 a e% no o e a ess n and 74% na at n te no o t a e a s n f ant no t a e safet on e ns n t e s n
d ta te no o es
26% 12.3%
Do you feel safe online? Have you experienced cyber bullying? 28 | Page
o o o en a e ente n t e f e d of o na s n n eas n n e s n ana and w e Page | 19 e a t n e s a e not a a a e t s est ated wo en onst t te at east of t e ed a
wo fo e ne dota e den e s ests owe e t at s ste ne a t es e s st t at
d sad anta e wo en f o t n n t e ed a nd st s st d s a ed at e o n
t e stat s of wo en o na sts and t e ond t ons nde w t e a t e o na s
and to o de e a e den e n s o t of ad o a and an e n news oo s n t e
o nt e fo ow n e f nd n s stando t
• o en n t e ed a a e o e n a w de oo of eats n d n o t s and
s ness t a e st o e e t an en to e ass ned ‘soft news’ and so a
eats
• o en e e e t at t e e a e a d s a t es etween t e and t e a e
o nte a ts and fee d s nated a a nst n o ot on o o t n t es
29 | Page
4.0 Conclusions Women are entering the field of journalism in increasing numbers in Ghana and while exact numbers are not available, it is estimated women constitute at least 40% of the media work- force. Anecdotal evidence suggests however that systemic inequalities persist that disadvantage women from thriving in the media industry. This study is aimed at exploring the status of women journalists and the conditions under which they practice journalism and to provide empirical evidence in support of advocacy and change in newsrooms in the country. The following key findings standout: • Women in the media are covering a wider pool of beats, including politics and business, but are still more likely than men to be assigned ‘soft news’ and social beats. • Women perceive that there are pay disparities between them and their male counterparts and feel discriminated against in promotion opportunities. • Few women occupy positions in the upper echelons of media organisations and tend to be in middle management rather than decision-making positions. • Women are expected to be the primary caregivers in Ghanaian society but work conditions in the media make it difficult for women to effectively combine work with this social responsibility. • Gender-based harassment is common in Ghanaian newsrooms but few organisations have policies to address the problem. • Women feel empowered in the digital space but face unique concerns relating to their safety, including trolling and cyberbullying. The picture we get from these findings is mixed, and indicative of the fact that while there has been some progress in women’s status in the media, old challenges that militate against them still, persist. This mixed-bag of progression and stagnation is consistent with findings from some of the recent studies, which show that female journalists still face disparities across all forms of media (Geertsema-Sligh, 2019). On one hand there is a significant presence of young women in Ghanaian newsrooms, who are more likely to work on beats traditionally considered the pre- serve of males. On the other hand, women’s presence in top management and in boardrooms remains abysmal. And while some progress has been made in improving women’s workplace conditions (e.g. maternity leave without risk of job loss) newsrooms are still quite inhospitable to women as they lack baby/child friendly spaces to help them better manage their multiple roles. More insidiously, women remain vulnerable to all kinds of gender-based harassment in newsrooms and have little official protection because of an absence of clear policies and redress mechanisms to effectively sanction inappropriate behaviours.
5.0 Recommendations Based on the findings of the study, we recommend that gender advocacy needs to target in- terventions that offer support to enable women combine their work and social responsibilities. For instance, flexible schedules that allow women to work from home etc. Another support mechanism may be the provision of child friendly facilities that enable women to bring their children to work where necessary so they can stay at work longer without anxiety about ne- glecting their responsibilities. Women need to go beyond general beat coverage to more specialized areas of coverage to deepen their knowledge and increase their career prospects in the media. Given also the finding that women are sometimes denied some reporting opportunities under the guise of protecting them, editors are encouraged to allow women to make such determinations for themselves.
20 | Page Media managers also need to pay much needed attention to remuneration in the industry, if they hope to make the industry attractive, including for women. That there are people earning as low as 150 a month is a matter of considerable concern, even if these are extreme cases. They also have to pay attention to managing perceptions of unequal treatment of male versus female employees, including perceptions about disparities in opportunities for promotion and career development. Developing and publishing clear guidelines for promotion and career development opportunities (e.g. publishing an opportunity roster) and abiding by them may help. Equally urgent are clear policies on sexual and other gender-based harassment and interventions that protect women in the media and discourage inappropriate behaviours. The study also finds that while respondents generally feel safe online, some do suffer cyber bullying in their line of work. Again policies and guidelines that target online safety and training that help women journalists stay safe online must be put in place. In addition, in-house reporting systems that encourage women to report online and off-line harassment and mechanisms that help them access counselling will be helpful in promoting their wellbeing.
Below is a list of recommendations for different actors and stakeholders:
5.1 Media owners/managers
» Ensure flexible schedules that allow women to balance work with family responsibilities, including working from home. » Provide child friendly facilities in the workplace that enables women to bring their children to work where necessary so they can stay at work without anxiety about neglecting their babies. » Improve remuneration in the industry to attract and retain journalists, including women. » Address perceptions of unequal treatment of male versus female employees. » Ensure promotion and career development opportunities are transparent and that women are not discriminated against based on their gender. » Develop, publicise and implement clear non-discriminatory guidelines for promotion and career development (e.g. publishing an opportunity roster). » Develop, publicise and implement clear guidelines on gender-based harassment, including sexual harassment, and signal zero tolerance for such behaviour by imposing sanctions on violators. » Put in place mechanisms where aggrieved persons can report gender-based harassment and other inappropriate behaviour without fear of intimidation. » Encourage and support women to take up assignments that lead to better prospects in career progression and do not ghettoise them to work beats that are considered ‘feminine.’ » Provide regular training for staff on emerging media and communication technologies and on how to stay safe online. » Develop, in-house reporting systems that encourage women to report cyber bullying inci- dents and to access counselling where necessary.
5.2 Women in media » Commit to self-improvement, including taking advantage of opportunities for further studies and training programmes that will boost your career. » Take advantage of the general absence of a beat assignment culture to select and specialize in areas of interest. Specialization creates opportunity for in-depth knowledge and improved reporting, beneficial to upward progression in the media industry.
Page | 21 5.3 Gender advocacy and media development organisations
» Target interventions to offer support that enables women combine their work and social responsibilities. » Support the development and adoption of gender equality and sexual harassment policies in all newsrooms in the country. » Advocate for better salary structures for women in media. » Advocate for the provision of child-friendly facilities in Ghanaian media organisations.
5.4 Media policy agencies
» Advocate for stricter adherence to cyber security law.
6.0 References Byerly, C. M. (2011). Global Report on the Status Women in the News Media. Washington, DC: International Women’s Media Foundation [IWMF].Gadzekpo 2013
Geertsema‐Sligh, M. (2019). Gender issues in news coverage. The International Encyclopedia of Journalism Studies, 1-8.
Mueller, C. W., De Coster, S., & Estes, S. B. (2001). Sexual harassment in the workplace: Un- anticipated consequences of modern social control in organizations. Work and Occupations, 28(4), 411-446
National Communication Authority (2020) Quarter 2 Report
Otoo, K. N., & Asafu-Adjaye, P. (2011). Wages and Working Conditions of Media Workers in Ghana. Labour Research and Policy Institute.
Shattuc, J. M. (2014). The talking cure: TV talk shows and women. Routledge.
USA’s Women’s Media Center (2019) The Status of Women in the U.S. Media.
Viererbl, B., & Koch, T. (2019). Once a journalist, not always a journalist? Causes and conse- quences of job changes from journalism to public relations. Journalism, 1464884919829647.
22 | Page ACKNOWLEDGMENT “The Status of Women in the Ghanaian Media” report is a product of great teamwork and meaningful partnership. Indeed it is testament to the great things that can happen when women rally together for a common purpose.
We acknowledge the US embassy Ghana for funding this Project . Special thanks to Naomi Mattos, the Press Attache and the Grant Officers: Joyce Asiedu and Zainab Mahama.
The Joint project team of AWMA and SICS, the AWMA steering Committee and the entire AWMA membership have been phenomenal.
A National Coordinator together with 10 regional Coordinators conducted the survey without whose work there would have been no report.
Congratulations and Thank You.
Page | 23 Profile of partners The Alliance for Women in Media, Africa (AWMA) is a progressive, non-partisan, non-gov- ernmental network based in Ghana dedicated to empowering and networking women in media, advocating greater visibility representation of women in media, inspired by the work of other similar networks around the world. We envision a media industry where women are trained, re-trained visible and in positions of influence and power to contribute to an inclusive global discourse where the voices, stories, experiences and images of African women and girls are correctly, sufficiently and equally represented. Our mission is to identify, train and retrain, support, connect, protect and reward African Women across the Media industry for their contribution towards changing the African media narrative. Our programmatic themes are empowerment, network, voice, advocacy and honours, with our core programmes being ‘WiM’ Rising, End Violence and Governance and Accountability.
You can contact AWMA via: e-mail: [email protected] FB: Alliance for Women in Media Africa Twitter/Instagram: @awmaafrica
The School of Information and Communication Studies (SICS) aims at improving and extending the frontiers of Information and Communication dissemination and management through effective teaching, learning and research. It has two sub-units - the Department of Communication Studies and the Department of Information Studies. The School focuses on developing world-class students who are skilled, versatile, creative and ready to take up posi- tions in local and global information and communication industries. It also aims at producing innovative research to reflect the evolutions in the creation, dissemination and exploitation of knowledge and the impact of new forms of media and communication on people’s lives.
You can contact SICS via P.O Box LG 1181, Legon, Accra, Ghana. Telephone Number: 0302909786 Email: [email protected]
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