“It was almost time for the six o’clock news. The scripts had just been printed, and my [male] boss, who was the presenter, couldn’t review them all. He asked me to bring the rest to him in one of the studios. As I entered, I noticed the whole studio was dark. A hand grabbed me and tried to kiss me. Startled by the unexpected advance, I pushed back and fled, leaving the scripts behind. This [incident] left a lasting impact on me.”
This harrowing experience from Sarah Agyenim (not her real name), a participant in a training session on Women’s Empowerment for female journalists in Ghana under the Equal Voices Project, is just one example of the harassments many women face in newsrooms.
Female journalists in Ghana have long endured sexual harassment, discrimination, an unwelcoming work environment, and, more worryingly, a lack of institutional support to address these challenges.
A global survey conducted by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) revealed that nearly two-thirds of women journalists have experienced some form of intimidation, threats, or abuse in relation to their work. A similar study commissioned by CFI and conducted in four sub-Saharan African countries, including Ghana, revealed that “many female professionals in the media industry experience discrimination and violence linked to prejudices against women in patriarchal societies, which go as far as sexual harassment and physical violence.”
In her remarks at the launch of the Equal Voices Project in 2023, renowned broadcaster Oheneyere Gifty Anti shared her ongoing experiences with gender bias and discrimination in the media industry, despite her extensive and distinguished career.
“I have been abused for 26 years, and I’m still going through it, but I won’t stop. The problems I faced in my early days are still going on because the bias against women in the newsrooms hasn’t stopped,” she bemoaned.
The abuse of female journalists in the newsrooms and gender disparity in the media have partly been sustained by the absence of a codified framework or guide that promotes equality in the media.
But now, a major step forward has been taken. The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), in partnership with the French media development agency Canal France International (CFI), has developed a Strategy Document to promote gender equality in the Ghanaian Media. This groundbreaking document, the first of its kind in Ghana, offers a concrete framework to enforce and promote gender equality in the media. It will ensure that journalists like Sarah and other prominent broadcasters like Oheneyere Gifty Anti no longer have to suffer in silence or be made to feel less human because they decided to take up a leadership role in their media house.
Why the Strategy Document Matters
For too long, gender inequalities in the Ghanaian media have been pervasive and largely unaddressed. Systemic challenges such as the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions, workplace inequities, gender-based violence (GBV)—including sexual harassment—lack of access to maternity protection, and related biases continue to exist.
Research conducted by the Alliance for Women in Media (AWMA) and the University of Ghana’s School of Information and Communication Studies found that 69 out of 300 female journalists surveyed had experienced inappropriate physical contact and suggestive flirtatious looks from their male colleagues. Many others faced verbal abuse, gender-based discrimination, and were denied leadership roles simply because of their gender.
The Strategy Document, therefore, provides actionable recommendations and a comprehensive roadmap to increase the number of women in leadership roles in the media, achieve gender parity in media content, promote gender-sensitive workplaces and policies, enhance capacity for gender advocacy, and also foster multi-stakeholder collaboration to end all forms of inequalities in the media.
These recommendations were harvested from engagement and validation meetings with stakeholders drawn from academia, gender-focused civil society organisations, policymakers and media associations, and journalists, editors, and media managers in Ghana.
Turning Policy into Action
The Strategy Document is not just a statement of intent—it is a call to action because the timing of this document is crucial. While the passage of the Affirmative Action Law marks a significant milestone in Ghana’s efforts toward gender equality, legislative change alone is not enough to transform deeply rooted societal norms and institutional biases. The Strategy Document, therefore, serves as a vital tool to bridge the gap between policy and practice, ensuring that the media plays an active role in advancing gender representation, accountability, and equity in Ghana.
By outlining clear guidelines and implementation mechanisms, the document provides media organisations with a roadmap to create safer and more inclusive workplaces. The document proposes internal policies that hold perpetrators of gender-based violence accountable while also establishing monitoring and reporting mechanisms to track gender progress in newsrooms.
One of the key components of the Strategy Document is the requirement for media houses to adopt gender-sensitive policies, including stronger workplace harassment reporting structures, equal opportunities for career progression, and targeted mentorship programs to empower women journalists. Additionally, the document pushes for gender-balanced editorial teams to ensure fair representation of women’s voices in news content.
To guarantee the success of these initiatives, the MFWA should, in collaboration with media stakeholders, engage news organisations, regulatory bodies, and civil society actors to ensure that the recommendations in the document are effectively implemented. This multi-stakeholder approach is crucial to creating lasting change.
Gender Equality – A Collective Responsibility
Achieving gender equality in the Ghanaian media is a shared responsibility. While the Strategy Document provides the framework, its success hinges on the commitment of media owners, editors, journalists, and policymakers to drive the change. Media managers must take proactive steps to implement these policies, journalists must advocate for equitable work environments, and regulatory agencies must enforce compliance measures to sustain progress.
But real transformation requires more than policy—it requires action.
Every newsroom has a role to play. Media organizations must review and revise their internal policies to reflect the principles outlined in the Strategy Document. Journalists must continue to raise awareness and hold decision-makers accountable. Advocacy groups and civil society organizations must sustain the momentum, ensuring that gender equality remains a priority in media reform discussions.