Dorcas Muga: Despite my efforts, the women I cover choose to remain unheard
Gender equality necessitates that all voices have an equal opportunity to be heard, respected and valued. An empowered woman is an empowered society.
What you need to know:
- My commitment to gender equality is driven by data that clearly shows women and girls still lag far behind globally, when it comes to the realisation of basic human rights.
- Empowering this half of the population is, therefore, critical for unleashing the full potential of societies and economies worldwide.
As a gender editor and self-proclaimed feminist, one of my key roles is ensuring the stories we publish reflect a balanced representation of voices across genders. I take pride in telling narratives that empower women and girls. However, I am also cognisant that true empowerment can’t come at the expense of neglecting men and boys. Gender inequality is detrimental to everyone in society.
The goal we should be striving for is achieving genuine gender equality by addressing the unique barriers and disadvantages faced by all genders. This means investing in the empowerment of girls and boys in an equitable, balanced manner that allows all segments of society to thrive.
My commitment to gender equality is driven by data that clearly shows women and girls still lag far behind globally, when it comes to the realisation of basic human rights. Empowering this half of the population is, therefore, critical for unleashing the full potential of societies and economies worldwide.
It is why I actively practise gender mainstreaming in my journalism work, striving to tell stories through an intentional gender lens that captures diverse perspectives.
Just last week, I was working on a national story and had secured what appeared to be a well gender-balanced list of sources to interview. I was excited at the prospect of having both male and female voices represented.
However, as I made the calls, I quickly discovered a concerning trend. All the men I reached out to were not only ready to offer their viewpoints for the story but were also enthusiastically willing to be directly quoted on the record and have their photographs published alongside the piece. In contrast, the process of getting the women to participate was an uphill battle.
One female source outright declined, seeming offended that I even had the audacity to contact her. She hung up on me without a second thought. Another also refused to speak, though she did offer to share contacts of other women experts, cautioning me not to reveal where I got their information from.
After two more failed attempts to get a woman's perspective, I regrettably resigned myself to publishing the story using only men's voices, despite my best efforts. As a gender editor, it was a deflating experience.
This situation highlights a harsh reality - despite our consistent advocacy for empowerment and equal representation, far too many women remain media shy.
Research indicates that globally, only 24 per cent of the people heard, read about or seen in newspaper, television and radio news are women. Just 19 per cent of experts providing commentary across news platforms are female. These imbalances deprive societies of the full diversity of perspectives needed to make fully informed decisions.
The reasons behind this tendency for women to opt out of public discourse are complex. Some stem from ingrained societal pressures about how women "should" behave - reserved, soft-spoken, and deferential. Even in 2024, being perceived as an outspoken or "vocally powerful" woman can still provoke a backlash.
A 2019 study found that women who spoke in a more exploratory, tentative style were viewed as more likable but less competent, while those who spoke more directly were seen as more competent but less likable. It's a harsh double bind.
Many women do not leverage public platforms confidently due to the harsh scrutiny, online abuse, and reputational attacks that statistics show they disproportionately face for merely expressing views publicly.
This fosters an environment where most of them simply self-censor and proactively opt out of raising their voices through media outlets.
This systemic exclusion, however, skews public discourse by allowing men's perspectives to overwhelmingly dominate and set the agenda across a vast array of topics - from politics, to economics, to social policies with far-reaching impacts. It perpetuates the marginalisation of women's experiences, priorities and problem-solving capabilities in crucial decision-making spheres.
To correct this situation, there is a need for vigorous public awareness campaigns that dismantle deeply entrenched cultural attitudes demeaning outspokenness in women. Both women and men have roles to play in decisively rejecting these outdated, harmful mind-sets.
We need robust initiatives providing empowerment training from girlhood through womanhood that build fundamental skills and confidence around unapologetic self-promotion.
Established female leaders and influencers should intentionally sponsor, mentor and amplify other women to expand the diversity of visible female voices across all platforms.
And male allies must consciously advocate for, demand and celebrate the equal representation and amplification of women's voices and perspectives in shaping dialogues across all sectors.
Only through such comprehensive actions can we dismantle the systemic barriers that still keep far too many women's insights, experiences and ideas marginalized in our private, institutional and public spheres.
Gender equality necessitates that all voices have an equal opportunity to be heard, respected and valued. It is not a zero-sum game. An empowered woman is an empowered society.
