Advancing gender equity in media

Journalists Husna and Fadhia Mohamed pose for a photo during the Standard Group Women Network mentorship graduation on March 7, 2023. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

I'm proud to note that there are three issues, currently, which make the headlines frequently. These are sexual and reproductive health: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Fistula.

These are stories often covered by female journalists, based on comfort with subject matter and ease of the survivors to share with another female. Maybe these stories wouldn't have been highlighted, certainly not in the same agency, if it were only up to male journalists to cover them.

The need for more women in executive positions within the media was highlighted. Financial information and analysis company S&P Global found that, in the 24 months following the appointment of a female CEO, the stock price increased 20 per cent in public companies.

Similarly, following the appointment of a female chief financial officer, the firms in its study sample experienced a 6 per cent increase in profitability and an 8 per cent increase in stock return.

Are we saying that the solution to the current crisis the media and advertising industry faces could be solved by hiring more female CEOs? Certainly not. We are simply stating that it certainly wouldn't hurt.

Be it more stories covered or more women in management, gender equity in media needs to be anchored in robust gender policies as Media Council CEO, David Omwoyo, present at the event echoed.

Better yet, as the CEO of the President's Award Kenya Nellie Munala, placed it, "We have to be world ready".