The Alliance for Women in Media Africa (AWMA), in partnership with MTN Ghana, has held a conference to mark International Women’s Day, calling for stronger support systems to empower women in the media space.
The event, themed “Empowering Women in Media to Break Barriers, Build Resilience and Shape Narratives,” brought together media professionals, industry leaders, and stakeholders to discuss challenges facing women and how to overcome them.
International Women’s Day is observed globally to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, while also serving as a call to accelerate gender equality.
Opening the event, Convener of AWMA, Mercy Catherine Adjabeng, said the importance of celebrating women beyond a single day.
“Interestingly, the whole month of March is a month of women. And International Women’s Day is a day, but we should take advantage to celebrate women at any given opportunity,” she said.
She expressed excitement about the conference and praised the contribution of women to the initiative, particularly the support from MTN Ghana.
“Women really rock, and this event is a testament to what women can do,” she said, adding that having women involved in decision-making leads to more inclusive outcomes.
Also speaking at the event, Acting General Manager for Sustainability and Shared Value at MTN Ghana, Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, highlighted the need for deliberate efforts to increase female participation in the media.
She recalled earlier engagements aimed at supporting women in the industry and said more needs to be done.
“I was very keen on getting us to do a lot more development in media because I had observed in our interactions… that women’s representation is low,” she said.
According to her, despite MTN’s extensive engagement with media organisations across all regions of Ghana, women make up less than 10 per cent of participants in some areas.
“We have about 100 people on the platform who support us, and I can’t even count up to 15 women… maybe just about 10,” she revealed.
Mrs Fiagbenu said that empowering women in media goes beyond on-air roles.
“Getting more women empowered with the media is not just doing frontline media as people usually assume… in all the critical discussions, we believe that women have to be present,” she said.
She also pointed to initiatives such as scholarships and digital skills programmes that prioritise women, and called for more support to help women own and manage digital media platforms.
“Everybody is doing blogging and setting up TV online. The men are getting the numbers and the views, and I think that women can do a lot in that space,” she added.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Audrey Gadzekpo placed the discussion within a global and national context, pointing to ongoing inequalities despite progress.
She noted that globally, women hold only 64 per cent of the legal rights enjoyed by men, while Ghana stands at 75 per cent.
“We scored higher than the global average, but our score indicates that gaps remain… and we must work to reach that,” she said.
Professor Gadzekpo also highlighted the prevalence of gender-based violence in Ghana, citing studies which show that “approximately 28 per cent to over 41 per cent of women have experienced intimate partner violence.”
Bringing the conversation closer to the media industry, she said women remain underrepresented in leadership and decision-making roles.
She referenced findings from previous studies, which showed that “very few women held executive or high-level decision-making positions,” with many stuck at the middle management level.
According to her, income disparities, sexual harassment and poor working conditions continue to affect women in the industry.
She further noted that women make up only about 35 per cent of the media workforce, with just 20 per cent occupying leadership roles.
“In political reporting, investigative journalism and editorial decision-making… women are even further marginalised,” she said.
Professor Gadzekpo identified key barriers, including online harassment, cultural norms and institutional bias.
“In 2023… nearly 70 per cent of female journalists in Ghana experienced some form of online abuse,” she said, warning that such attacks often silence women and lead to self-censorship.
She urged women to move beyond visibility to influence. “Presence without power is mere decoration. We must move from representation to influence,” she stressed.
On resilience, she encouraged women not to endure injustice silently.
“Resilience is not simply endurance… it is the deliberate use of the resources we need to keep telling the truth when the world wants us to stop,” she said.
She also called for stronger mentorship and collaboration among women in media. “We must be intentional about mentorship… and pave roads for others to walk on boldly,” she added.
Professor Gadzekpo further challenged women to take control of digital platforms.
“Where are our blogs?… We can shape our narratives through that. We can build our own platforms,” she said.
She called for collective responsibility, urging media organisations, policymakers and male allies to support gender equality.
“The work of empowering women in the media cannot rest on the shoulders of women alone,” she said.
The conference featured a panel discussion where seasoned media professionals shared their experiences and reflected on their careers.
A broadcast journalist and now Coordinating Director of Public Affairs at Parliament, Kate Donkor, spoke about the distractions women face in the industry.
“One of the things we spend our time talking about is how we should look… and people bullying us,” she said.
She urged women to shift focus towards more critical issues. “I don’t care what you think about how I look… I’m interested in equity. I’m interested in whether I’m getting what I deserve,” she stated.
Reflecting on her career, she admitted there were things she would have done differently.
“I would have listened less and acted more,” she said, while noting that the media has also made her journey easier by giving her visibility and opportunities.
Patron of the Network of Women in Broadcasting, Nana Yaa Konadu Yiadom, said that although she had a few regrets, she remains fulfilled.
“I don’t in totality regret being in this space. It has allowed me to network well and do what I love most,” she said, adding that she would choose the same career path again.
Broadcast journalist and Senior Editor at GBC News, Thelma Tackie, also shared a personal lesson from her journey.
“My biggest regret is not finding my voice sooner… the fact that I can say no. I regret that I didn’t come to that realisation earlier because no is also an answer. And you should use that no voice. If you haven’t already, you’re losing out,” she said.
“There’s still a long way for me to travel, and I look forward to learning as much as I can until there’s nothing more. That will be when I’m there,” she added.
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