“…I was overjoyed, to see how much women in refugee settlements in Uganda can assertively express themselves about their rights and livelihoods and yet how much do we know of this?” reflected Flemming Moller Mortensen, the Minister for Development Cooperation of Denmark.
Speaking at his high-level delegation headed visit to Uganda Media Women’s Association (UMWA), the Minister for Development Cooperation Denmark projected that the media is such a fundamental pillar towards reflecting women status in society. This he said would help in refocusing democratic processes for gender equality.
The visit was a stakeholder engagement, which happened on Wednesday 22nd June, 2022 between 4:00PM-5:00PM, at UMWA premises in Kisaasi-Bukoto.
The Minister was accompanied by a team of Danish delegate among which: HE: Hejberg Petersen (Danish Ambassador to Uganda), Nicole Bjerler (Head Democratic Governance Facility, DGF) in Uganda, Anne Sophie (Programmes Director Danish Embassy).
Media in Uganda still remains marginal in equal women visibility despite the spontaneous industrial growth with over 320 radios, 46 televisions, 16 newspapers and numerous online platforms. Research demonstrates that women are only 24% visible in news media as opposed to the males.
In its fourth strategic plan of development cooperation with Uganda, Denmark envisions uplifting women and girls rights by eliminating any form of gender inequalities for the next four years.
Within the past four years of relating through the DGF programme, Denmark has impacted diversely in interventions that target gender inequalities. Projects like “Media for Gender Equality and Social Justice: Leaving No One Behind”, as implemented by UMWA have strengthened capacities of women politicians on how to use the media as a platform for political development and representation.
Such efforts, among others, contributed to the increased political representation of women in the 2021 elections; Cabinet: 27% to 43%, Parliament: 33% to 34%, Local Government: 45% to 46%. Consequently, a marginal increase in women visibility in news media from 20% in 2018 to 24% as of 2020.
During an interview on Mama FM while on the delegation visit, Flemming observed that Denmark is one of the developed countries that is deliberate on gender equality and human rights as a foundation for democracy. He added that subject to human rights, media is assessed as fundamental and hinge to fulfillment of other rights for all persons, as a knowledge and advocate ground.
“We should include to reach as many people as possible, and I think radio transmission is great because if you can affect listeners with music, news updates, interviews, then I think gender equality sensitization through media, especially women focused platform like Mama FM would be fruitful for our societies and equally one of the game changers that we need” said Flemming.
Established in 1983, UMWA was founded as a women in media umbrella to advocate for representation of women issues and other marginalized groups in the news media, while enhancing gender equality.
This journey has been a bumpy yet largely achieving one, given support from the diverse donors like Denmark. Among the directional interventions for media engendering over the past 39 years have been: gender and media research, policy critiques and recommendations, policy and curriculum advocacy for gender responsiveness, capacity building of media for gender sensitivity.
Margaret Sentamu, the Executive Director of UMWA reflected that of the 39 years of effortful triumphs and tribulations, Denmark has iconically supported the gender agenda in the media for the past 17 years.
“Our journey with Denmark in advancing a gender responsive media has been such a long one! Since 2005, with revival of The Other Voice analytical news publication, Denmark has immensely contributed to reshaping the embedded patriarchal status quo in the media, where women were of least news interest.” Margaret reflected.
Bilaterally and through the DGF Consortium, Denmark has generated impact as far as:
- Supported publication of The Other Voice for 8years, a news Pull out that concentrated on under coverage of women and development issues reaching over 5 million people.
- Sponsored Gender and Media Masters programs that resourced expertise personnel for gender advocacy in media
- Supported training of over 210 journalists in gender sensitive training
- Facilitated production of a Gender Advocacy strategy for mainstreaming gender in media
Staff serving under UMWA highlighted that unlike other donors, whose support focuses only on activities, Denmark through DGF for the past four years has supported institutional strengthening and Provision of Salaries for 10 staff. This has contributed to the stability of the Organization.
Despite the above triumphs witnessed, which one would imagine enough for a realized gender balanced media, the tribulations are still more gender gapping from policy level to societal defining beliefs.
Uganda has a very strong and recommendable legal and policy framework that stipulates intersectional gender equality, with media in no exception. The international tools are equally sound contextualized to the national framework however least practicability is witnessed.
At policy level, there is hesitant specification of gender policies that directly speak to media regulation. In so doing, Uganda Communications Commission keeps mum! to gender content violations in question of “no mandate”
Similarly, newsrooms continue to operate under gender discriminative terms where women earn less than their counterparts, least promotional opportunities, sexual harassment, among many other gaps. A collection of all the highlighted gaps creates a further discriminatory representation and portrayal of women against men in the media output, a practice that continuously reinforces gender stereotypes in society and marginalization of women.
Any better with the donor world?
Whereas the international world has kindly facilitated civil society advocacy work, in which the gender agenda for media, it has been a double edged sword relationship!
Many times, media is viewed as a facilitating tool for reflecting initiative outputs, rather than a fundamental sector and contributing partner to development processes.
Consequent to the above, media gets to have minimal deliberate development investments through resource funding both from donors and government.
What more from Denmark?
During a media interview with Mama FM on June 22, 2022, the Minister for Development Cooperation Denmark projected that Denmark is finalizing development of a country strategic plan between Uganda and Denmark for the next four years. This strategy is strongly recognizant of eliminating any gender inequalities in order to elevate the rights of women and girls in Uganda.
“Just now, we are finishing the new framing of the next four-year cooperation between Uganda and Denmark. Civil Society Organisations and human rights observance is really very important and like I said earlier it is a foundation when it comes to development cooperation from Denmark, there is really a lot to do” said the Minister
He added that Denmark works for gender equality and human rights in all matters where they cooperate with other countries.
The delegation collectively emphasized that Denmark prioritizes democratic processes where the media is equally free and inclusive.
In further discussion, Flemming noted that while in Northern Uganda, he observed that there are so many things to do in eliminating gender gaps through the media. “If we will bring the news, the information to families also to men to find out how it is a good way of being together in a family because violence is too often as part of being a family, everyone ought to see, hear and know.
