Representation of Women in Ethiopian National News Media Decision-Making
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2007-07
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This research explores the representation of women in the Ethiopian national news
media decision-making and the factors that deter women from enjoying equal
participation in decision-making. The research focuses on national news media as
these media are influential in the country due to their capacity to reach nationwide.
Researches in relation to media and communications are scarce in the country leave
alone on specific issues like women and media. Among the very few efforts of
research made on the area the available studies are traditional or nonjeminist
researches whose centre of research are not women. Few researches have been
conducted on the content of news media and women.
This research, however, focuses on the representation of women in national news
media specifically on their representation in decision making. The research is carried
out from a feminist point of view, in that it not only makes its centre women but also
has employed feminist research methodology. The major methodological approach is
qualitative research. Quantitative research is also employed in order to substantiate
the findings of the qualitative research. Accordingly, in-depth interview, focus group
discussion and desk review methods have been used to collect data.
Findings of the research show that women in the Ethiopian national news media are
still absent in top decision-making positions and women joumalists are not only
aware of this fact but also are conscious of some factors affecting women's
participation in decision-making. In this respect some major factors arose from the
descriptive and empirical data analysis as affecting women's participation in
decision-making in terms of women's equal opportunities to decision-making and
gendered division of labour. These are among others, lack of equal opportunities for
promotion in decision-making, the masculine culture of newsrooms, male managers'
attitudes towards women leadership and women's aspiration for decision-making
positions and career achievements.
Description
Keywords
Women in Ethiopian National News Media