Gender equality unattainable without dismantling stereotypes – Women Lawyers report

The Guyana Association of Women Lawyers (GAWL) has called attention to stereotyping of women’s roles in media reports and said it must be dismantled if gender equality to be attained.

The findings were presented in a recent report which led to the launch of the booklet: ‘Gender in Media’ on Tuesday.

The report and booklet, funded through the Association and UNICEF, followed a series of interviews with long-standing media practitioners and observation carried out at media houses in print, online, radio and broadcast.

Presenting the report on Tuesday at the National Library, GAWL member Rosemary Benjamin- Noble said sensitisation and awareness exercises for reporting on gender-based issues are vital.

“There is insufficient evidence that the media practices gender sensitivity in its reporting with the primary focus being on creating sensational news.

“There is insufficient focus on women’s rights… realities of gender are not highlighted in the media coverage including challenges faced by women,” Benjamin-Noble said.

It has been determined that people are oftentimes pressured to conform to gender roles and stereotypes portrayed in media, marketing and advertising.

Benjamin-Noble said it is because of these stereotypes that women are subjected to certain careers. This, she believes, further perpetuates the idea that women are less sufficient for certain career paths.

Nonetheless, she said that in several instances reporting on gender-based violence and other gender related issues are highlighted but not expanded to highlight the capabilities of organisations to provide interventions.

Journalists are urged to utilise their skills for promoting gender equality and have more respect and interest in their reporting. Media houses are encouraged to be mindful of the cartoons and other articles published that can lead to stereotyping.

“It is well agreed that cartoons are useful for messaging, cartoons also have the ability to influence the thinking of a reader regardless of the age and gender or regardless of the subject it is also a genre that has ability to be positively or negatively impactful on the perspective of a reader,” Benjamin-Noble said.

Stereotypes can leave people feeling excluded and inadequate and these narratives can entrench harmful gender norms, which leads disproportional impact on women and girls.

The Guyana Press Association (GPA) hosted several workshop training for media operatives to better understand reporting on gender-based violence and gender reporting. It is encouraged that refresher trainings are conducted especially with the turnover of employees in media.

“GAWL should conduct sessions on gender to appear on radio programmes [and] also Liaison with UG and other institutions to encourage a sustained sub-course for teaching in each programme of study for education and awareness training and the robust mechanism to address the continuous turnover of media practitioners and transfer of knowledge,” Benjamin-Noble said was one of the recommendations following the observations.