This paper is aimed to look over theoretical and empirical literature on the issue of women and media institutions in Ethiopia and to recommend the appropriate measures to be taken.
A report by the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) in 2011 on women in the media workforce shows that women are under-represented in the media industry, especially at decision-making level. Throughout the world, media coverage and media images of women.are inadequate and often misleading suggesting that women are doing and saying nothing of importance.
Content
1. Introduction
2. Paper Objective
3. Method (Source of Data)
4. Theoretical Models
5. Empirical Literature
6. Discussion and Recommendations
7. Conclusion
8. Reference
Abstract
Media play an important role in current society. In many countries, women seeking to enter the media institution but they face many difficulties. In Ethiopia, the society which is characterized with a strong patriarchal value, woman’s experiences, knowledge and achievements in their multiple roles i.e. at home, in their communities and in their working environments are unrecognized and un-rewarded. This paper is aimed to look over empirical literature on the issue of women and media institutions in Ethiopia. The paper used detailed literature reviews in order to get adequate data. Accordingly, many studies have found that there are a number of constraints on women's encounters in media the institutions. Women are under-represented in the media, face sexist attitudes, sexual harassment, face inequalities and discrimination, low salary and so on in Ethiopia. Therefore, it can be recommended that, strengthening national, regional and zonal cooperation in which all stakeholders work together to improve women participation in the media industry, building knowledge to increase women’s participation in and access to media through sharing of information and good practices.
1. Introduction
Media are the collective communication outlets or tools used to store and deliver information or data (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/media.html). It is one of the most important socializing agents. As millions of lives are being conditioned and shaped by what is heard on the radio, what is viewed on television, video and cinema films; what is read in print and what is seen on the stage. Media transmit values and attitudes that highly affect the attitude and behavior of individuals. They play important roles in society. They report on current events, provide frameworks for interpretation, mobilise citizens with regard to various issues, reproduce predominant culture and society, and entertain. As such, the media can be an important actor in the issue of gender, both within the working environment and out of the working environment (White, 2009).
A report by the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) in 2011 on women in the media workforce shows that women are under-represented in the media industry, especially atdecision-making level (Byerly, 2011). Throughout the world, media coverage and media images of women are inadequate and often misleading suggesting that women are doing and saying nothing of importance. In the working environment the usual argument is that “hard news” presents a more “masculine agenda” issues taking place in the public sphere such as economics, politics, government, and crime and it “typically” relies on the expert’s knowledge of “public-sphere institutions''. While “soft news” may provide a context for coverage of issues related to the private sphere and considered to be of greater importance to women such as childcare, women’s health, and male violence(WTFEMDGR, 2018).
In many countries, women seeking to enter the media but they face sexual harassment, low salary, discrimination in promotions, inflexible work environments, and a lack of support mechanisms (Shivdas, 2000). Even in countries like the USA, where women are the majority of students in journalism courses, only a small percentage of these women go on to work in the media. Many graduates, faced with low salaries than their male counterparts and lack of opportunities for promotion, opt for jobs in other sectors such as public relations (Gallagher et al., 2010).
In Ethiopia, the society which is characterized with a strong patriarchal value, women's experiences, knowledge and achievements in their multiple roles i.e. at home, in their communities and in their working environments are unrecognized and un-rewarded. The Ethiopian media working in this context has been reflecting these values and thus major stories of great social, political and economic importance appear in the news without women’s voices and images (Seble, 2006).
2. Paper Objective
This paper is aimed to look over theoretical and empirical literature on the issue of women and media institutions in Ethiopia and to recommend the appropriate measures to be taken.
3. Method (Source of Data)
Secondary data were used as a source of information for this paper. The paper used detailed literature reviews in order to get adequate data that is relevant to address its objectives by using basic searching techniques to look for research papers, newspaper articles and governmental and non-governmental records and archival documents from the internet.
4. Theoretical Models
In this section I am going to revise different theoretical models/views based on different literatures. Much of the debate in the area of gender and media is rooted in cultural studies and “patriarchy” a concept that describes relationships or institutions where men dominate women. In such a system women are largely confined to the household/private domain and have limited participation in public life. Although women are not totally excluded from the public domain, when they step into it they face inequality and discrimination. It is a system based on a “uniform definition of the role of women as naturally subordinate and complementary to the role of men” (Pilcher & Whelehan, 2004).
African feminist, Saadawi (1997) in her essay, Creative Women in Changing Societies, argues that this patriarchal value has exposed women to mental and sexual oppression and has hampered women from developing their physical, mental and emotional power. And under such a system few women become “professionals”.
Furthermore, Fayemi (2004) an African feminist defines women’s identity within the African cultural context as “A woman is a second-class citizen, her labor is unremunerated, her body is available and disposable, her rights are subject to validation and violation, her daughters will share her fate. She is socialized into sustaining the very structures that will oppress her throughout her life. There will be some rewards that come with compliance, and also punishment for rebellion. This, in essence, is her identity”.
Kramarea in her Muted Group Theory brings in the language element in the debate on the divide between the public and private domains. She argues that the ever-prevalent public private distinction in language is a convenient way to exaggerate gender differences and
pose separate sexual spheres of activity. Griffin quotes her saying as follow:
“Within the logic of a two-sphere assumption, the words of women usually are considered appropriate in the home of a ‘small world’ of interpersonal communication. This private world is somehow less important than the ‘large world’ of significant public debate, a place where the words of men resonate.” (Griffin, 2003)
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