Islamabad – Low representation of women journalists in newsrooms and a lack of gender-sensitive policies have pushed Pakistan’s media industry into a state of gender emergency, according to a gender audit of news organizations conducted by the Women Journalists Association of Pakistan (WJAP). and the Freedom Network.
The study titled “Unequal Newsrooms: A Gender Audit of Pakistan’s Media Organizations” was launched on the occasion of International Women’s Day, March 8.
The gender audit is based on a survey of 15 news organizations in Islamabad, which provided data on workforce representation, organizational policies, anti-harassment measures, working conditions and wages. The audited organizations included six television channels, four newspapers, three news agencies and two news websites.
The results of the audit show that the average share of female journalists in the news is only 11%. Most news organizations do not have a female journalist in a leadership position.
Only two of the 15 media houses have an anti-harassment investigative committee, despite a federal law that makes it mandatory for employers to do so. Most media organizations do not offer paid maternity or paternity leave, even though it is now required by law.
The audit report’s gender sensitivity assessment found that overall, about 75% of the 15 news outlets were gender-blind, meaning their organizational policies and practices do not identify or address specific gender issues that may affect men, women and other gender minorities. differently at the workplace.
Fauzia Kalsoom Rana, founder and founder of WJAP, said the findings of the gender audit should make media managers think about the situation in their organizations.
“The policies and practices of male-dominated media houses create additional gender challenges for women journalists and media workers,” she said. “Media houses should use the gender audit findings to review their internal systems and implement measures to improve working conditions for women.”
Myra Imran, a WJAP adviser and vice president of the National Press Club, said the poor state of gender diversity in media organizations also affects the quality of journalism and limits women’s access to information.
“If there are few women in newsrooms, then women’s perspectives will naturally be ignored in media content,” she said. “Media organizations should implement gender equality in the workplace, including in leadership positions, produce more gender-sensitive content and improve their engagement with female audiences.”
Freedom Network Executive Director Iqbal Khattak said civil society should support the media sector in implementing gender-sensitive reforms.
“News organizations must embrace gender equality as a core value for meaningful change in organizational culture,” he said. “Civil society and media development groups can help the media comply with gender protection laws and adopt best practices in gender sensitivity.”
The audit shows that urgent action is needed to address the gender crisis that discourages women from continuing in journalism, violates their legal rights in the workplace and affects the gender diversity of media content.
The study offers recommendations for news organizations, media managers, civil society, journalist unions and policy makers. She suggests that news organizations use gender equality strategies for hiring, promotion, and workplace behavior. Development organizations should conduct capacity building and gender awareness training for journalists and newsrooms.
The audit recommends journalist unions demand transparency in contracts and pay structures and seek legal recourse against publishers for violating gender laws. According to the gender audit, policymakers should be aware of sexual harassment in the workplace and safety risks for women working in the media.
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