GENDER SENSITIVITY IN THE MEDIA

Today’s Swazi Observer (20 August 207) has a special eight-page supplement on gender in the Swazi economy.

It contains reports and feature articles on a range of topics including how women are moving up in the business world and ‘gender bending’ women who are making a success of work in areas that are traditionally thought of as male preserves. Among the highlights is the story of Ntombiyenkosi Mabuza, a woman with no arms who sews clothing and baby blankets using her feet.

The supplement makes interesting reading as it contains the kind of stories about women that rarely get into the media in Swaziland.

The supplement was written and produced by participants at the Business Unusual workshop that took place in Mbabane all last week. The workshop was conducted by Gender Links with the support of the Journalism and Mass Communication Department at the University of Swaziland (UNISWA) and the Netherlands Institute of Southern Africa.

Participants were invited from all the main media houses in Swaziland, but most did not attend. Business World magazine was there all week, SBIS radio turned up for most of the lunches, but the main newspapers and television only made fleeting visits.

Third year journalism diploma students from UNISWA did most of the work in the supplement. It is sad that more people from the mainstream media did not attend the workshop, because if what they produce in their newspapers, and on radio and television, every day of the week is anything to go by they need to think a lot more about the way they report on women.

A great example of this need happened this week (even as the workshop was in session). On Tuesday the finalists of the Business Woman of the Year Awards (BWYA) was announced at a breakfast meeting. Swazi TV went and filmed the opening speakers at the event who were both men. As soon as the women started speaking, the camera was packed away and Swazi TV left.

The following day (Wednesday 15 August 2007) the Swazi Observer ran reports on the event. The main story headed Fresh List of BWYA Finalists quoted only men and the two pictures the newspaper used to illustrate the story were both of men.

The Times of Swaziland did better. In its report it quoted one woman and two men.

One of the sessions at the Business Unusual workshop was about how to get a better gender balance in reporting.

Here for anyone who is interested here are some of the tips participants were given:

- In your reporting reflect the diversity of age groups, social classes, ethnic groups, physical characteristics of women.

- Include more than one perspective or one voice in the story.

- Include more than just the views of men, and the views of only men and women who are in positions of power or formal authority.

- Seek out the ‘missing’ voices – be proactive.

- Represent women in a way that allows them to speak with dignity and authority

- Be conscious of language that reinforces stereotypes.