I would like to thank the organisers of the Gender and Media Summit for the opportunity to address this important gathering. The Global Media Monitoring Project provides a one day snapshot of gender portrayal and the representation of women and men in newspaper, television and radio news simultaneously in 108 countries around the world, including Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and the Pacific. The findings constitute a body of evidence on the current extent of gender sensitivity and gender equity in the mainstream news. In combination with data collected every five years since 1995, the 2010 results allow for comparisons between regions as well as globally over the last 15 years. News media in Africa are behind the global average in many dimensions of gender sensitivity, although there is e evidence of change in the last five years – perhaps this is due to your efforts.

Jordan Bangladesh Guinée Conakry Costa Rica The Global Media monitoring project is the world’s largest and longest longitudinal study on gender and media, carried out in 5-year cycles. It began in 1995 with 70 countries taking part, and has collected a body of evidence on the representation of women and men in the news media around the world every 5 years. In the project the main national newspapers, radio and television newscasts are monitored in one single ‘news’ day. In 2010, Internet news monitoring was added on a pilot basis. The data for the GMMP 2010 was collected through the collective voluntary effort of organizations around the world including gender and media activists, grassroots communication groups, university researchers and students, media professionals, journalists associations, human rights NGOs, and other civil society organisations. In southern Africa, the research was coordinated through the GEMSA network. The GMMP formidable reach is the result of the enthusiastic and committed voluntary participation of thousands of monitors and hundreds of national and regional coordinators around the world over the last 15 years who have organized and carried out the monitoring. The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) coordinates the GMMP globally, with the assistance of national and regional coordinators in all participating countries. The 2010 project is funded by UNIFEM and other partners. Media Monitoring Africa managed the database and produced the statistical tables. Profound gratitude to regional and national coordinators and monitors, all of whom worked as volunteers. The purpose of this presentation is to give you an overview and comparison of the findings in Africa and around the world. Costa Rica

Africa 27 Asia 13 Caribbean 11 Europe 31 Latin America Middle East 6 North America 2 Pacific 5 Total 108 After months of preparation, hundreds of volunteers in 108 countries analysed almost 18,000 news stories in 1365 newspapers, television, radio stations as well as internet news sites. These stories included over 38,000 news subjects – persons who are interviewed or whom the news is about. The stories were reported and, in the case of television and radio, presented by almost 22,000 news personnel. Here you can see the regional distribution of participating countries.

Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroun, Dem Rep of Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea Conakry, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan (south), Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe The fourth GMM saw an explosion in participation including 43 countries that did not take part previously. Participation increased considerably in Africa: from 18 five years ago to 27 – not including North Africa which is grouped with the Middle East. Only about 11 African countries took part in the first and second GMMPs in 1995 and 2000. The increase in the last ten years perhaps shows the increasing confidence and competence of groups in Africa concerned with media and gender justice, among other factors. The expansion in Africa was particularly significant among French speaking West Africa.

108 countries 17,795 news items 21,813 news personnel 10 November, 2009 108 countries 17,795 news items 21,813 news personnel 38,253 news subjects 1,365 media GMMP 2010 saw the participation of groups in 108 countries. 1365 newspapers, television, radio and internet news sites were monitored, covering 17,795 news items, 38,253 news subjects (persons whom the stories are about or who were interviewed) and 21,813 news personnel (reporters, announcers, presenters. The monitoring methodology (refined by a global virtual working group, as well as Gender Links and Media Monitoring Africa) is available on the GMMP website. The full report discusses the methodology, including considerations on accuracy, reliability and limitations. Everyone around the world uses the same guidelines and coding sheets. The data for all news items form each country is collected and analysed using a single database. The analysis, carried out by Media Monitoring Africa based here in Johannesburg, provides global statistical results as well as results for each country and for eight regions around the world. A weighting system related to media density is used to derive global results appropriately reflecting both large countries such as Nigeria and small countries such as Lesotho. The methodology is available in six languages. It is adaptable, and is made freely available for that purpose.

Global: 24% Africa: 19% Africa: 19% unchanged since 2005 Global 24% up 3 percentage points since 2005 Globally, the last 15 years have seen an increase from 17% in 1995 for a change of 7 percentage points in the last 15 years. Both of the two previous five year periods have seen an increase of 3 percentage points. Significant changes have been seen in female news subjects in the major topic politics and government: from 7% in 1995 to 19% today. And in female news subjects in economic news from 10% in fifteen years ago to 20% now. In Africa, topics with the lowest percent of female news subjects include peace negotiations, human rights, the rural economy and agriculture and development issues.

Globally and in Africa, females in the news are not portrayed in occupations outside the home in proportion to their true presence. In African news, men outnumber women in all occupational categories other than homemaker and unemployed

20% of experts are female, compared to 17% five years ago. africa global 20% of experts are female, compared to 17% five years ago. 2010: 20% 2005: 19% Africa: 19% unchanged since 2005 Global 24% up 3 percentage points since 2005 Globally, the last 15 years have seen an increase from 17% in 1995 for a change of 7 percentage points in the last 15 years. Both of the two previous five year periods have seen an increase of 3 percentage points. Significant changes have been seen in female news subjects in the major topic politics and government: from 7% in 1995 to 19% today. And in female news subjects in economic news from 10% in fifteen years ago to 20% now. In Africa, topics with the lowest percent of female news subjects include peace negotiations, human rights, the rural economy and agriculture and development issues.

Global africa Females are 44% of persons providing popular opinion, compared to 34% five years ago. Females are 33% of persons providing popular opinion, compared to 38% five years ago. Men in the news outnumber women even as providers of popular opinion based on personal experience. Women are, however, inching towards parity as people providing popular opinion.

Women are central in 13% of news stories 10% in 2005 10% unchanged. Global africa Women are central in 13% of news stories 10% in 2005 10% unchanged. Under 10% in stories on poverty, housing, social welfare, sports, human rights, development issues, legal and judicial system including family, property and inheritance law, education, labour and the rural economy.

africa Global Female 16% identified by age, Male 8% Decreasing but still strong disparity in identification of news subject by physical attribute. 2005: Female 19%, male 5% Female news subjects are almost twice as likely at 22% to be identified by age as male news subjects at 12%

global africa Almost twice as many female news subjects are identified by family status compared to male news subjects. Almost 3 times a likely to be identified by family status Female 11% Male 4% Disparity is decreasing. In 2005, women were almost 4 times as likely to be identified by family status: Female 19%; Male 5%

global africa Only 6% of news stories mention or explore dimensions of gender (in)equality relevant to the story topic, compared to 4% five years ago. Only 5%, compared to 4% five years ago.

Turning now to journalistic practice, we’d like to take a closer look at stereotyping in news content. The GMMP classified stories according to whether they reinforced or challenged gender stereotypes, or did neither. This is a photo from a story appearing in the Danish newspaper BT on November 10. The story was titled ‘Michelle Obama’s Love Tips’. The photo takes up a significant portion of the page and is an intimate close-up shot of First Lady Michelle and President Barack Obama. This article summarizes an interview given by US First Lady Michelle Obama to Glamour magazine– publication based in the United States of America. The article notes that readers of Glamour have voted Michelle Obama as ‘the most important woman’ of the year. Although the article describes her as “important” and a “45 year- old super woman,” there is no reference to her Ivy League education or her highly successful career prior to becoming the First Lady. Instead, her role in the news story is to provide advice on ‘what to look for in a man’, to speak about ‘what keeps her relationship with President Obama strong and stable’, and to discuss her fashion style.

global africa 6% of stories clearly challenge gender stereotypes, compared to 3% five years ago. 46% reinforce gender stereotypes. 5% of stories clearly challenge gender stereotypes. 3% in 2005. HIV and AIDS: 11% probably due to sustained efforts to bring gender sensitivity to reporting on this topic.

In Africa 30% of stories are reported by female reporters compared to 28% five years ago. Globally, it is 37%, unchanged in the last five years. Far fewer news stories in print, radio and television reported by women. This means, 63% of stories are by male reporters.

The marginalisation of women’s voices is increasingly recognised as a freedom of expression problem.

Who makes the news? Global, Regional and National Reports Available for download at www.whomakesthenews.org gmmp@waccglobal.org