Lack of Gender Sensitivity Pushes Pakistani Media into Crisis

News Desk

Islamabad: The under-representation of women journalists in newsrooms and the lack of gender-sensitive policies have forced the Pakistani media industry into a state of gender emergency.

According to a gender audit of news organisations conducted by the Women Journalists Association of Pakistan (WJAP) and Freedom Network (FN).

The study, titled “Unequal Newsrooms: A Gender Audit of Pakistani Media Organisations,” was released ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8.

Focusing on 15 news organisations in Islamabad, including TV channels, newspapers, news agencies, and websites, the audit examined workforce representation, organisational policies, anti-harassment measures, working conditions, and wages.

It found that only 11 percent of journalists in these outlets were women, with a glaring absence of women in leadership positions across the majority of organisations.

Furthermore, despite federal laws mandating the presence of anti-harassment inquiry committees and providing paid maternity and paternity leave, most media houses were non-compliant.Only two out of the 15 audited organisations had anti-harassment inquiry committees, and few offered paid parental leave.

The audit also assessed gender sensitivity, revealing that approximately 75 percent of the news outlets were gender blind in their policies and practices, failing to address the unique challenges faced by women, men, and other gender minorities in the workplace.

Fauzia Kalsoom Rana, the founder and convenor of WJAP, stressed the urgency for media managers to reflect on these findings and take action to address gender disparities.

She emphasised the need for media houses to review internal systems and implement measures to improve working conditions for women journalists and media workers, thereby creating more inclusive and equitable workplaces.

Myra Imran, an advisor at WJAP, highlighted that the lack of gender diversity in media organisations not only affects the quality of journalism but also limits women’s access to information.

According to her, the underrepresentation of women in newsrooms leads to the neglect of women’s perspectives in media content.

Imran suggested that media organisations should prioritise gender equality in the workplace, particularly in leadership roles, and focus on producing more gender-sensitive content while improving engagement with female audiences.

Iqbal Khattak, the Executive Director of Freedom Network, emphasised the need for civil society support in implementing gender sensitivity reforms within the media sector.He stressed that news organisations must embrace gender equality as a fundamental value to bring about meaningful changes in organisational culture.

Khattak also suggested that civil society groups and media development organisations can assist media outlets in complying with gender protection laws and adopting best practices in gender sensitivity.

The audit findings underscored the urgency of addressing the gender imbalance within media organizations. It highlighted how this imbalance discourages women from pursuing careers in journalism, violates their legal rights in the workplace, and impacts the diversity of media content.

The study provided recommendations for news organisations, media managers, civil society, journalist unions, and policymakers.

Key recommendations included implementing gender equality strategies in hiring, promotions, and workplace conduct within news organizations. Development organisations were urged to provide training and raise awareness about gender issues among journalists and newsrooms.

The audit also suggested that journalist unions demand transparency in contracts and wage structures and seek legal assistance in cases of gender protection law violations by publishers.

Policymakers were urged to address workplace sexual harassment and safety risks faced by women media workers.