By Zainab Jobarteh
The maiden edition of the Global Media Congress has ended in the capital city of Abu Dhabi, UAE after an engaging and intensive 3-day con- clave of global media practitioners and administrators.
One of the panel discussions of the conference looked into the role of women in the media; with the theme ‘Diversity and inclusion in a digital era: women in media. Panelists were women from the UAE, Egypt and Nigeria.
Dr. Yemisi Akinbobola, a consultant, award-winning journalist and the cofounder of African Women in Media, said there has been an increase in the number of women who own media houses over the last decade. She however mentioned that there are various forms of barriers women face in their media careers.
On the impact of technology, Dr Akinbobola submitted that the advancement of technology has improved the position of women in the media.
“Where technology has been really helpful is the invention of podcast, for example. Majority of podcasters in Af rica are women, and women in media are using these platforms because they have direct access to them. They develop content that captures the narratives of African women,’’ she explained.
She made reference to women who also use TikTok as a medium to create and share content that are beneficial to women. She posited that a lot of women are using these new media forms because of the easy access with very little cost.
In terms on ownership, Dr Akinbobola opined: “We have few success stories in terms of women who own large media organisations. The number of women that have progressed in that kind of leadership process is still very low and they are facing a lot of barriers around gender pay gaps, sexual harassment and society’s idea of what the role of women should be in the media’’. The award-winning journalist also talked about how there is a huge disparity between women who read courses who end up in the industries are encouraged to do certain kinds of beats, “health and fashion, and less towards politics and business’’.
Khadeeja AlMarzooqi, the Editor-in-Chief of ‘Dubai Post’ talked about the negative impact of half-baked educated women influencers in digital platforms. She explained that though women have the platform to express themselves, they lack the educational background and that is why they face bullying because they fail to express themselves the right way. Khadeeja believes that this could be avoided if these women are equipped with the right tools.
Nashwa Al Ruwaini, CEO and Board Member of Pyramedia, UAE, also emphasised the need for women influencers to be educated and learn the best ways to interact with their audiences. She noted that they need a backbone for their social media presence.
Panellists agreed that women all over the world continue to be limited in their participation in the media.
