Low Number of Women In Leadership Posts In Media Worries WAN-INFRA

By DELPHINE ZULU

May 14 2018
WAN-INFRA president Micheal Gorden has expressed worry at the low number of women in leadership positions in various media houses.

He said during the Women In News (WIN) Africa summit held in Nairobi last week that most newsrooms were field with women who had remained in lower positions for many years.

“I’m however impressed that organisers have brought on board chief executive officers and human resources personnel so that they understand the need to have more women in leadership positions,” he said.

He said the world would be a better place if more women were placed in leadership positions.

Mr Golden said most news affected the women but little was heard due to the fact that media houses lacked female representation at decision level to fight for space for such publicity.

And WAN-INFRA director media development Melanie Walker said the level of female representation is still at 17 percent worldwide, an indication that women in media are not being promoted.

She said gender equality should by now be a forgotten discussion going by numerious sensitisation programmes and treaties that had been signed.

“A media without women in leadership positions is simply a signal that women’s voices will continue to be overshadowed,” She said.

She was however hopeful that with the bringing on board of various
CEOs and Human Resources managers, positions would be shared.