Rebecca?s world- boutique, club and satellite dish...
Rebecca?s world- boutique, club and satellite dishes
Date: January 1, 1970
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Subtle gender stereotypes detract from this otherwise interesting profile of a successful Zambian business woman.
Subtle gender stereotypes detract from this otherwise interesting profile of a successful Zambian business woman.
This article may be used in training to:
Demonstrate how subtle stereotypes often affect well-intentioned stories on successful women.
Trainer’s notes
Ask participants to draw out some of the subtle stereotypes in the story. For example:
- Rebecca is referred to by her first name. Men are seldom referred to by their first names when they are the main subject of a story. This often gives a slightly patronizing feel to a story.
- There is reference in the first line to her physical appearance: smart and fashionable.
- There is reference in the second paragraph to her marital status. Although it appears that her husband is in fact employed by her (he is said to run his own consulting business as part of one of her companies, Paragon Services) this is not explored in-depth.
- There is reference to her household responsibilities, caring for husband, son etc as though these are a given, with no reference to her husband’s home responsibilities, whether he helps out etc.
- One of the deficiencies of the piece is that it is a single source story. How might the story have been different if, for example, her husband had been interviewed?
Some training exercises
Ask participants to profile prominent businesswomen and ensure that multiple sources are consulted. Emphasise that getting away from the “wonderful woman” and “familiarity” syndrome makes stories more credible. Gender aware journalism adheres to all the principles of good professional journalism.
Click here for additional training resources and information. Refer to fact sheet thirteen.
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