The Uganda Media Women’s Association (UMWA) has issued a strong statement condemning the closure of Nation Media Group Uganda (NMG-U) media platforms, describing the action as a serious threat to press freedom, access to information, and Uganda’s democratic principles. The association expresses concern over the impact of the shutdown on journalists, media workers, and the […]
The study also realized a gender selective reporting where there is a relationship between the sex of the reporter and the proportion of female and male news subjects appearing in print news stories. Female reporters covered more female news subjects and quoted more females in their stories as opposed to the male reporters. In equal measure, male journalists gave more audience to male sources but also within talk shows of purely male presentation, women suffered a low engagement under similar likelihood.
This is where Uganda Communications Commission-UCC comes in. The regulator needs to use its Content Committee, established under Section 14 of the UCC Act, 2013 to enforce fair gender representation and gender sensitive content.
“There should be reemphasis of linking the discussion of gender sensitivity to the journalism principles of diversity, truth and balancing stories. Let’s change the narrative to equitable equality. Where it is a 50% for male, so should it be for females and at worst 50-49%,” said Dr. Patricia Litho, UMWA Board Chair
The 2020 GMMP report released by UMWA observed that there was a low women visibility in news media, only at 24% as news sources and subjects compared to their male counterparts. And yet, only achieved at a 6% rate over a ten year-period of time and a staggering progress as of the March-June 2022 gender responsive media monitoring engagements.
“As an aspiring politician, I have gained confidence through workshops organized by the station and I thank Mama FM for the capacity building and skills training they organize for the community.” Says Christine.