By Enock Sithole
A soon-to-be-released book titled Gender and Media Representation: Perspectives from Sub-Saharan Africa reveals that “despite advances in civil rights and legal protections, restrictive gender stereotypes persist in many contexts”. The 15-chapter book critically examines the intersection of media and gender across diverse African contexts. It contains a “rich” collection of case studies and theoretical perspectives.
“The volume explores how media constructs, portrays, and negotiates gender identities from news coverage of female political leaders to the representation of women’s voices in radio and digital spaces,” reads the blurb of the prospective book.
The edited book contains contributions from academics from various universities in Sub-Saharan Africa and edited by three eminent scholars: Professors Margaret Jjuuko from the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Rwanda; Carol Azungi Dralega from the Department of Journalism, Media and Communication at the NLA University College, Norway; and Solveig Omland from the Department of Intercultural Studies at the same university.
Speaking about the contents of the book, which are based on research, Prof Jjuuko said it was surprising to find that even in instances where the issues in the media relate to women, they tended to be reported by men. “It reveals that the majority of discussants on women’s issues in Ghana are men,” said Prof Jjuuko.
The book’s chapters also reveal that most research on gender representations in the media was from the Global North. Prof Carol Azungi Dralega said the findings from several contributions revealed several overlooked and under-theorised dimensions of gender and media in Sub-Saharan Africa. “One key insight is the heightened vulnerability of female journalism interns, who face sexual harassment not only because of their gender but also due to their precarious position in newsroom hierarchies – often silenced by fear, stigma, and the lack of institutional support,” she said.
Another unexpected revelation, said Prof Dralega, was the transformative role of community radio, which goes beyond information dissemination to become a space where rural women exercise agency, challenge patriarchal norms, and participate in decision-making.
AI’s role in entrenching existing gender biases has been revealed in the research, a surprising and remarkable finding. “Equally eye-opening is the role of AI in journalism, which, despite its promise, risks entrenching existing gender biases if implemented without inclusive and gender-sensitive frameworks,” said Prof Dralega.
Prof Dralega said it was surprising that even in media systems hailed for progress, deep-rooted gender inequalities persisted in both traditional and digital spaces. “For instance, female journalism interns, despite operating within legal frameworks, often endure sexual harassment in silence due to fear, lack of trust in institutions, and normalised abuse,” she said.
The book reveals that in rural Kenya, women use community radio not just for information but as platforms for political aspiration and resistance — defying assumptions about their passivity.
Meanwhile, the research found that Gender Based Violence (GBV) survivors tend to YouTube not only for awareness but as a form of digital therapy and social belonging, “highlighting the unexpected emotional utility of new media”, notes Prof Dralega.
On the negative side, the research found that online harassment drives women journalists to abandon high-risk beats, thus “revealing that digital freedom often comes at a personal cost”.
Unfortunately, the research reveals that even in settings with robust gender policies, newsroom practices still result in unequal pay and marginalisation, said Prof Dralega. “These findings disrupt the illusion of progress, revealing that visibility, voice, and safety for women in African media remain fragile and conditional,” she added.
Overall, the findings reveal that media and gender representation in Sub-Saharan Africa remain deeply unequal, despite policy reforms and increased female participation. “Women are still underrepresented in leadership roles, often confined to soft news beats, and portrayed through limiting stereotypes. Even where gender policies exist, they are weakly implemented or ignored in practice,” said Prof Dralega.
She said community and digital media offered alternative spaces where women challenge these norms, using storytelling, radio, and online platforms to assert agency and visibility. “Yet, these gains are fragile. The persistence of harassment, wage gaps, and exclusion in both legacy and emerging media signals that structural change remains slow and uneven,” argued the Norwegian scholar.
The findings expose how both legacy and emerging media systems can reproduce inequalities unless proactively restructured, stressed Prof Dralega. “The research compels us to rethink assumptions of progress and to address the nuanced, layered realities women in African media continue to navigate.”
The book makes some recommendations to fix some of the shortcomings. For instance, the Gendered Power Relations and Culture of Silence chapter in the book urges media organisations to create “clear, accessible sexual harassment reporting mechanisms and to break the culture of silence through policy enforcement and training.
The Community Radio in Building Resilience Against GBV chapter calls for greater funding, political support, and locally driven content to strengthen radio’s impact. The Digital Safety chapter recommends continuous digital security training for women journalists and institutional support for safer online workspaces.
The Gender Mainstreaming in AI-Enhanced Journalism chapter advocates gender-sensitive AI (toolkits included) and inclusive newsroom design.
Altogether, the chapters stress systemic change – beyond policy – to transform media culture, education, and technology through intersectional and context-specific strategies, according to Prof Dralega.
The book will be launched at East African Communication Association (EACA) conference, which will be hosted by the School of Journalism and Communication (SJC) of the Addis Ababa University, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on August 27th – 29th.