Gender and media baseline study (Southern African Regional overview)

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.

Year of Publication: 2003