Women underrepresented in media fraternity: Jagger

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Namibia’s media fraternity still has a long way to go to address gender gaps, with women making up only 40 per cent of all media practitioners and 34 per cent of media house managers, despite comprising 64 per cent of media students.

This is an indication of the entry barriers women face in the media profession, Deputy Minister of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication, and Social Welfare Bernadette Jagger said at the commemoration of International Women’s Day at Swakopmund on Wednesday.

Jagger said gender stereotypes, discrimination and sexual abuse still plague the industry, while online violence against women and girls in Namibia remains a challenge.

This year’s International Women’s Day was celebrated under the theme ‘#DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality,’ which aligns with the priority theme for the upcoming 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. The purpose of the theme is to explore the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and social inequalities, as well as highlight the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces and addressing online gender-based violence, especially affecting young girls.

Jagger also noted that most women in Namibia, particularly those in rural areas, do not have access to information and communication (ICT) services such as the internet. According to the International Telecommunications Union, the proportion of women using the internet globally is 48 per cent compared to 58 per cent of men. The limited access to media products and ICT in rural areas is another barrier that women face.

“There is an urgent need for inclusive and transformative technology and digital education is crucial for a sustainable future… When women and girls are left behind, we are taking a risk of not achieving socio-economic development,” the deputy minister said.

Erongo Governor Neville Andre Itope meanwhile noted the underrepresentation of women in the creation, use and regulation of technology, saying they are less likely to use digital services or enter tech-related careers and significantly more likely to face online harassment and violence.

“These limit not only their own digital empowerment, but also the transformative potential of technology as a whole, and therefore needs to be addressed,” he said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency