A section of women who are both working in and with the media have decreed what they called an increasing sexual harassments in the industry.
Despite of several recommendations made by different stakeholders, studies among others, these said sexual harassments especially against women has remained on the high rate.
“Sexual harassment policies needs to be developed by different media houses. Having that is not enough, it has to be upheld apart from leaving it on paper,” said Brenda Namata, the Communication and Advocacy Officer at the Uganda Media Women Association (UMWA) said
According to Namata, sexual harassments in newsroom would be history, if media owners and managers had deliberate efforts of completely abolishing it.
Jan Ajwang the Programs Manager at Media Focus Africa said that there is need for men to know what sexual harrassment is, “for the 50:50 gender inclusive policies to work in the media houses and beyond,”
“Let’s put women in the agenda of every development. The media should borrow a leaf & involve women as it is being done in other sectors. We have produced real life stories to raise gender conversations on Radio,” she said.
This was during the first day of the 2022 Uganda Media Week that was organised by the Media Focus Africa in Kampala.
The two days discussion has been organised under the theme: Uganda Media Week 2022: Journalism, Innovation and the Future.
Speaking at the same session of Women in Media: Towards 50:50 gender inclusive newsroom Policies, Jane Angom a Media Viability Consultant said that sexual harassment doesn’t only happen in media houses but it is happening all over the country.
“It is a challenge we are struggling with as a country,” she said
Angom noted that a journalism shapes the narratives and the way people think. Richer content and diverse opinion shall be achieved if we have a 50:50 representation in the media.
“Programs that have content related to women ease more. Including women in all stages of our works adds value,” she said
Namata was however concerned over underrepresentation of women in the media.
“50% Women in Ug, 24% media visibility in news, 21% quoted in the news and Twice stereotypically represented,” she said
Ajwang said that in the media week that was held across the country, there were low women representation in leadership, content coverage (news) and we have been working towards demonstrating that equality is possible”
The media week will go on until Friday this week.
