UMWA-Every battle has front liners who passionately lead on cause for a win. In Uganda, for gender equality and equity in media, they are the female journalists.
The experience in championing this agenda by these warriors calls for promotion of women’s social Justice Agenda in this post Covid-19 era. This need is in both the media industry and to other responsible stakeholders.
Kansiime Gladance, a female journalist in Kasese working with one of the radio stations within the district a few months ago witnessed her job wind up by just a phone call from her boss, on her way to work.
As was routine, Kansiime one early morning was footing to her work station for the 8:00AM English bulletin. Amidst the rush, the phone rings and yes! It was the boss! Least did Kansiime suspect the call was a pass to a unforgettable experience.
“I was informed not to report to work till further notice. My four months off work started with serious thoughts of what business to embark on immediately in vain. This rendered me fully dependent on my husband, something that led to domestic fights severally. Despite situation later normalizing at work, I still get less pay.” Kansiime related.
Kansiime is one of the several female journalists who endure numerous challenges in their duty execution amidst least visibility of their potentials. This is not only limited to women journalists but also representation of women issues and their freedom of expression.
On March 8th 2021, Uganda joined the world in celebrating women efforts and their recognition pivoted on, “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.” However the question still reechoes, how represented are women, their rights and gender equality in media especially within the new normal?
Uganda Media Women’s Association (UMWA), an umbrella of female journalists in Uganda suggests that reflection on stakeholder key roles, functions and responsibilities would address the existent deficiencies.
In effort to abridge the shortcomings into resolutions for media uptake, UMWA engaged over 300 female journalists around the country. Insights from the journalists could equally fledge benchmark to other stakeholders for gender equality according to the association.
Engagements were through participatory sessions held on March 8th 2021 within ten districts of the country: Kabalore, Masindi, Mbale, Kasese, Arua, Mbarara, Gulu, Hoima, Moroto and Kampala.
Objectives underlying the gatherings were to have female journalists reflect on their roles, functions and responsibilities towards promotion of women’s rights and gender equality agenda in Uganda.
Additionally, to identify and discuss the challenges they face in line of duty as they promote the gender cause and in particular facilitating freedom of expression in Uganda.
Within the different district engagements, the female journalists brainstormed the media positioning of females, women’s social justice agenda and how media can promote it.
This was along other stakeholders and media activists like Media Focus on Africa in Uganda, Centre for Gender Equality, among others.
ISSUES AND GAPS IDENTIFIED
As they try to carry the representative cause of the women agenda through their field of practice, the various female journalists identified issues that cut across.
Non-solidarity among journalists. It was observed by journalists from Mbarara that there is no organization and unity among journalists. This has contributed to their continued abuse.
Abuse of journalists in line of duty has been salient within the electoral period situated in the new normal. This has seen security forces as the lead perpetrators according to Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda report titled, “Watch Dogs-Braving Hostility to Serve”.
On February 17, 2021, ten journalists were brutalized by men in uniform. These journalists had gone to cover Hon. Kyagulanyi Robert’s deliver of a petition to the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commission for Human Rights. Of the victimized, five were female.
Among other identifications were: understanding of media operation and communal women issues by female journalists, capacity building, and incompetent skills.
Aftermath of this issue identification and gaps proofed that to be drivers of women’s agenda as female journalists; they need to upscale their digital skills to befit the technological wave within the new normal.
CHALLENGES FACED
Whereas the practice comes with inevitable challenges, female journalists pointed out that the pandemic period and now new normal has soured the experience to some.
This they presented that has continued to affect promotion of women’s equal and fair access to their rights, privileges and opportunities especially in media.
Achan Proscovia, a journalist with Arua One, a radio station in Arua related that there is less yet delayed pay from media outlets at the expense of individual socio-economic needs.
“During lockdown, they put us to work in shifts yet we are paid per story. This affected my morale for work and pay.” She said.
Achan is just one of the numerous female journalists who related challenge of less pay, especially with gender difference.
The media-employment structure in Uganda is such that media houses ought to meet the payments of journalists under their service. Having advertisements, sponsorships and funding as their source of revenue, media outlets could not survive the financial slash caused by the pandemic.
Due to this, opportunity costs were made among which was discontinuation of freelancers, and non-vital workers whose imput to the daily running of the outlets was minor. For the retained, most went with half pay, a payment that continues till to date.
Furthermore, in due observance of the standard operating procedures, many journalists had to work from home. Many of those kept away were females. Females that fully kept in the trenches of information solicit and dissemination relate no good.
A 2015 survey by National Union of Journalists in the United Kingdom suggested that the career of journalism is non-sustainable due to the low pay offered to practitioners therein.
These among others dominated concern: unfavorable cultural norms, lack of sponsorship for gender sensitive programs, sexual harassment, police brutality and press censorship.
Doreen Nasiima a reporter with Vision Group noted that, “Many female journalists still face sexual harassment sources, workplace and transport intermediaries. This is the greatest challenge and need for address.”
CALL TO MEDIA
The journalists from various media outlets highlighted that for media to effect women’s social agenda, the following manifestations ought to be realized:
Equality and equity in resource distribution regardless of gender
Freedom of Expression and its platforms to women
Collective efforts on common agenda between media especially female journalists and community
Equitable resource accessibility
Sensitization and protection of human rights
Balanced and representative women visibility in media content
Participatory inclusiveness of women in decision making positions
CALL TO CONCERNED STAKEHOLDERS
Female journalists from Mbale emphasized that there is need for formulation of a specific ministry for women affairs. This would help have a clear stipulation on women centered policies and justice.
Currently, women affairs in Uganda are streamlined under the Ministry of Gender, labour and Social Development. According to the ministry, it is mandated to empower communities in diverse areas.
For example promotion of cultural growth, skills development and labour productivity while promoting gender equality, labour administration, social protection and transformation of communities.
Besides government, there are other supportive organizations that need more robust work towards defending women rights and their representation. Instance is development partners, UN agencies, women movements among others.
To the above stakeholders, journalists advocate for more funding from development partners. Media players affirm that this would enable sustainability of activities that promote women’s affairs.
Henceforth, collective consideration of the underlying pointers towards social justice agenda would enable media stage as a fully-fledged platform for gender equality agenda.
This would also direct realization of an equitably inclusive society with women unconditional recognition.
SUCESSES
Whereas invisibility and imbalanced representation centres discussions of women’s agenda, the successes achieved so far in the struggle can not be underestimated.
Ayesiga, a female journalist in Masindi said that through media awareness campaigns presented by women, men have begun to appreciate the role of women as equal partners in development.
She added that most importantly, women are increasingly coming up in support of fellow women. Journalists across the districts of engagement affirmed that the gap between men and women is increasingly narrowing due to female recognition.
Why Social Justice Agenda?
Female Journalists engaged affirmed that gender equity and equality would eradicate violations against women. This would be because of the created publicity of sensitivity in all spheres.
Reflections made by journalists engaged in Moroto emphasize that freedom of expression would be realized through a centred social justice agenda.
Other significances to the agenda are:
- End sexual harassment of female journalists
- Balanced media representation and coverage
- Gender mainstreaming of pay and responsibility in media outlets
The Uganda Gender Policy 2007 on its affirmative action stipulates that bridging gender gaps in the various development sectors requires preferential attention to the disadvantaged.
This shall help redress historical and present forms of discrimination against women and girls in political, economic and social spheres.
Informed by this, female media engagement on March 8th 2021 is one of the activities UMWA galvanizes in promotion of gender equality through media.
Established in 1983, Uganda Media Women’s Association came in existence upon realization that Uganda did not have any umbrella body that catered for the professional interests of women in media as well as the information needs of the marginalized in society.
