Women politicians say they are marginalised by the media
Women parliamentarians, media activists and leaders on Thursday voiced their concerns on what they called the marginalisation of women, when it comes to media representation.
The women leaders said this during a media and women leaders interactive dialogue, held at Kampala Imperial Royale Hotel.
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Silvia Akello, the Otuke Woman MP, said there is limited media coverage of women issues in in the rural areas, while a handful of them receive media representation in urban areas.
She said: "Even when Journalists carry out interviews with women leaders, rarely do their voices appear in the news on television, radio or print media.
“I have personally been victim to this, where Journalists take my picture in Public functions, interview me and I wait for the story to come out in vain."
“Where some print media chooses to write on women issues, their stories are buried inside the news paper and not highlighted on the front page, which portrays women as not an issue of concern at all”, she said.
Nebbi Woman MP, Jacqueline Aol, said women leaders are not well given media coverage, yet they represent women issues in Parliament.
“As we elect women leaders in Parliament, lets understand that they are there to advocate for women matters, which is why women should be rendered equal media coverage to their male counterparts”, she said.
Sarah Eperu, the FDC Women League spokesperson, said women are edited out of some radio talk shows, for unknown reasons.
She said Radio moderators are majority male in both Television and Radio Stations.
“About 17 per cent of women are represented in news bulletins on radio stations but not on talk shows”, she said.
She castigated some print media tabloids, for portraying women as sex objects in their newspapers.
Lawrence Kalanzi, Mama FM Talk show host, highlighted challenges facing journalists, while covering women issues to include; women being shy to talk to journalists, women leaders being reluctant to engage media, the limited time women have to engage with media among others.
The dialogue, organized by Uganda Media Women’s Association (UMWA), was held under the theme: “Media for Gender Equality and Social Justice."
