A CKNO WLEDGEMENT S This Botswana Media
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HIS BOTSWANA Media Gender Policy is a product of intense work, commitment Tand contribution from the Botswana Media Centres of Excellence. It was made possible by UKAID who funded the project in conjunction with Gender Links (GL). Keabonye Ntsabana GLB Country Manager The 2009 Glass ceilings in Southern African media study showed that in Botswana, women constitute 42% of media employees,39% and 30% of those in senior and top management respectively. These gaps in institutional practice are evident in media content. The 2010 Gender and Media progress Study (GMPS) revealed that women constitute just 20% of news sources in the media. The input of the management of the seven Botswana media houses participating in the initiative, which include Duma Fm, Gabz FM, Mmegi and Monitor, Sunday Standard, The Echo, The Skhonzile Ndlovu Voice and Yarona Fm made this initiative possible. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS GL Programme Manager These media houses have taken the first gigantic step to recognise the importance of mainstreaming Gender not only in the news but in the boardroom too. We thank the media houses profusely for giving Gender Links the keys to your boardrooms to hold the workshops which culminated in the Policy. We commend the work done by members of the Task Force who gave their time to the project and the staff who actively participated in the forums. Roos Van Dorp Gender Links would like to acknowledge the GLB .... ............ efforts of its staff especially Gender Links Botswana team, Keabonye Ntsabane, Roos van Dorp, Vincent Galatlhwe Skhonzile Ndlovu and the GL head office. We thank the project Consultant and facilitator, Beata Kasale-Kabango as well as Caroline Lubwika-Phiri for her input in the final drafting of policy. Gender Links thanks the Printing and Publishing Company of Botswana (PPCB) who have shown their commitment to Gender mainstreaming Beata Kasale-Kabango in the media by sponsoring the printing of this Consultant/Facilitator policy. Acknowledgement Foreword Media houses Buy in ........................................................................................ 4 Statement of Commitment ......................................................................... 5 Definitions .......................................................................................................... 6 1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................. 7 2. WORKPLACE POLICY 8 Gender Policy Framework ........................................................... 8 Work place Issues............................................................................ 9 Board and Staff composition...................................................... 12 Affirmative action and staff development............................. 12 EDIA HOUSES in Botswana have joined 100 other Southern African Conditions of employment......................................................... 12 NA, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER EXECUTIVE CHIEF NA, Development Community (SADC) media houses to mainstream Family friendly Practices and environment........................... 13 OR gender in content and institutional practice. M M 3. EDITORIAL CONTENT 14 This is the first time that media houses have come together to develop a common Editorial Content............................................................................. 14 document to guide their efforts to mainstream gender. Seven media houses, Programmes..................................................................................... 14 Lowe The Voice, The Echo, Mmegi, Sunday Standard, Yarona FM, Gabz FM and Duma FM Sales and Marketing...................................................................... 15 N N have developed and signed to this gender policy, which is the first step towards 4. CODE OF GOOD PRACTICE ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT EE transforming gender relations in and through the media. Defining Sexual Harassment....................................................... 16 LL O The struggle to ensure gender equality in and through the media in SADC calls for Examples of Sexual Harassment ............................................... 16 a more holistic approach to the transformation of gender relations in the media. Physical Conduct............................................................................. 16 This includes the creation of a conducive environment for gender equality to Verbal Conduct................................................................................ 16 FOREWORD BY C BY flourish. The gender equality imperative also demands that media houses put in Non verbal conduct ...................................................................... 16 place deliberate strategies to level the playing field such as developing gender Victimisation..................................................................................... 16 policies to guide their operations. Coercive harassment .................................................................... 16 Sexual Favouritism ......................................................................... 17 Gender stereotypes also abound in the way women and men are represented in Procedures on Sexual Harassment .......................................... 17 the news media with both women and men presented in a narrow range of roles Reporting Sexual Harassment.................................................... 17 which limit their scope in society. Men, for example seldom speak in stories on Sexual Harassment may be reported to the employer...... 17 gender equality, human rights, and children. Likewise, women rarely speak in the Obligations of the Employer ...................................................... 17 media on economics, politics, sports and sustainable development, issues which Disciplinary Sanctions................................................................... 17 affect them. Confidentiality ................................................................................ 18 Information and Education on goals ...................................... 18 Many a cynical editor argues that gender biases in the media are just ‘the way Retaliation ........................................................................................ 18 of the world’. But these seven Botswana Centres of Excellence for gender in the Counselling and Support............................................................. 18 media have debunked this myth saying change is possible. It is this belief in change that has spurred these media houses to develop a gender policy to guide 5. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POLICY their operations. This policy looks at institutional issues, such as human resources Gender Steering Committee....................................................... 19 practice, sexual harassment, advertising and marketing and editorial content. Appointing the Gender Steering Committee ..................... 19 Monitoring and Evaluation.......................................................... 19 What is unique about this gender development process is that media managers Information and Education.......................................................... 19 and editors have given buy-in to the process. These seven Centres of Excellence Self Monitoring Tools..................................................................... 19 have all signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with Gender Links giving Action List (Leaflet enclosed) their full commitment to the process. Coupled with work that is happening with media trainers, media regulators and citizens, Botswana will soon see the media Abbreviations .................................................................................................. 20 contributing to gender equality in the Southern African region. Change can Sources ................................................................................................................. 20 only happen when different industry players come together and work towards a common cause. We, the media practitioners of the following media houses undertake to adhere to what is written in this gender policy: Mr Titus Mbuya Managing Editor – Dikgang Publishing Company _____________________ (Mmegi and Monitor) MMEGI: GL Botswana (GLB) with Greg Kelebonye STATEMENT OF STATEMENT COMMITMENT SUNDAY STANDARD/ THE TELEGRAPH: Ms Beata Kasale MEDIA HOUSES BUY IN BUY HOUSES MEDIA the beginning Staff members in a Publisher – The Voice Newspaper __________________________________ workshop _____________________________ _______________________ Mr Outsa Mokone Mr Spencer Mogapi Managing Editor – Sunday Standard The Telegraph YARONA FM: GL Botswana with Owen Rampha Mr David Moepeng Station Manager– Yarona FM _____________________________________ ECHO: GLB team with Tomeletso Sereetsi THE VOICE: GL Botswana with Voice staff Mr Kenneth Moeng Station Manager – Gabz FM ______________________________________ DUMA FM: GL Botswana with Kealeboga Dihutso _____________________________ _______________________ Mr Kealeboga Dihutso Mr Alfred Busang News Editor - Duma Fm Station Manager - Duma Fm Mr Godfrey Ganetsang Editor – The Echo _____________________________________________ 4 GABZ FM: GL Botswana with Joyce Manase (right) and Pamela Gwanzura 5 BOTSWANA MEDIA GENDER POLICY BOTSWANA MEDIA GENDER POLICY AIM Sex and gender This policy aims to ensure gender balance and sensitivity in the media house, its Sex and gender: Gender refers to those characteristics of men and women that editorial content, programming and marketing strategies. The Policy will