MISA, in collaboration with its partner, Gender Links, conducted
the Gender and Media Baseline Study (GMBS) in 12 SADC countries
during September 2002
and published the results in March 2003, creating the most comprehensive
such study ever undertaken in the whole world. National studies were
later launched in all SADC countries,
except Angola and national
chapters
have
since held workshops during which
national action plans were made and activities to address the findings
identified.
One salient point made by the study was that, despite women constituting
51% of the regions' population, they only constitute 17% of news sources.
Another finding of the GMBS shows that 89% of the men speaking in both
the print and broadcasting media were mainly politicians - in positions
of prominence or formal authority. The SADC media still has to confront
issues of gender inequality in their own set ups and to ensure that gender
sensitive in-house policies are put in place.
Click below to view the Regional Overview
and SADC County Reports.