Media Glass Ceiling Hard To Crack For Women
Pamela Dube | Monday June 14, 2021 17:00
The media training programmes at the University of Botswana, Limkokwing University and South African institutions of learning were providing a pool of talent for the growing industry. With that, saw the rise of women media leadership. Women were taking editorship and other managerial positions.
The State media was proving a good place to thrive for women, whereas early as the ‘90s, the likes of Margaret Nasha were occupying the seat of director of Broadcasting Services. More followed Kebareng Solomon, Banyana Segwe, Monica Mphusu, Maria Pule, Keitirele Matlhape to name but a few.
In the young and exciting independent media, newspapers were especially proving progressive, with ownership of mainstream media also falling into the hands of women. The late Clara Olsen owned and managed The Gazette with another late icon, Beata Kasale, making waves as the publisher of the tabloid weekly, The Voice. Kasale did more than just drive but ensured her co-pilots were mainly women, with the current editor-in-chief, Emang Bokhutlo having always been on the editor’s seat. Apart from yours truly who has occupied the seat in different publications, the Botswana media welcomed vibrant young talented female editors in the likes of Morongwa Phala-Goodwill and Boitshepho Balodzi.
However, the picture has changed. At this stage, the veteran Bokhutlo has only Maureen Odubeng of The Monitor, to keep her company at the top of the mainstream media.
What happened? Why has the space at the top returned to be the preserve of men?
“It’s a myriad of issues affecting women’s progress in the workspace,” reasons Phala-Goodwill, a sub-editor at Dikgang Publishing Company. She believes first it has to do with the fact that though the media extends the invitation to both men and women, the treats are not enough so fewer women stay. Another thing is that the media like most industries has a landscape that is pretty much still rooted in patriarchy and women’s subjugation. As with other professions, women in the media go up the ladder, but they also grow in age, family and other social responsibilities that come into play.
“As a woman reaches life milestones, she could also easily hurt her career as she climbs up the ladder. There is a theory that marriage inhibits a woman’s professional progression, but I have to say motherhood has been an Achille’s heel for many in the media. There may be some truth to that, as for me I hit that glass ceiling as a four-month pregnant newlywed. The whole experience was unpleasant as one of the top managers and owners at the time, was also a woman,” says the award-winning journalist, who opines women’s value in the workplace deteriorates as they add life milestones. Phala-Goodwill recalls that as soon as she started showing, the manager quickly picked up on her pregnancy and told her as she pointed at her baby bump: “You shouldn’t have done that!”
“But there is more to it than that,” she says, noting that more hindering is what the business model of the media houses demands.
It is that lack of trust in the ability of female leaders that the former general manager of Gabz FM, Gabriel Rasengwatse found when he was appointed in 2017. He said after more than a decade in the industry, he was less prepared for what was in store. He found many women not only found it hard to break into management positions but also the prime slots on radio. The environment was not conducive to thrive, hence the industry lost a lot of talented young radio presenters and journalists. Francinah Baaitse, the Maun-based reporter for The Voice, agrees, arguing that the high turnover of women in the media has a direct bearing on leadership.
Having been in the media industry for close to two decades, Baaitse has observed that lack of progression for women could be due to the fact “women do not stay long in the industry,” as editorship does not just require educational qualifications but the experience. “Given social responsibilities piled on women, female journalists usually move to public relations, which is less stressful and not as demanding.”
But for young journalists especially, leaving the industry and thus losing growth opportunities, is not so much because professional women have to juggle responsibilities outside the workplace.
Keamogetse Motone, the 2020-2021 winner of the Gender Links reporting on women’s participation in politics, blames the exodus on the abuse, sexual harassment and general undermining of female media workers.
“Imagine having to deal with an editor who has no regard for women. This can abort your career, making you feel you are not cut out for journalism,” says Motone. She adds that the environment can be hostile, with even male peers making it difficult for their female counterparts to thrive. For copywriter at Native Impressions, Godiraone Mimi Moje, stereotypes as to what a woman’s position should be, contribute to the state of affairs. She says, however, how much the woman can excel in their jobs, their ability is always called to question whenever there is an opening for promotion. “This is more a conformist behaviour than an ability thing.”
Rasengwatse agrees, saying to change the status quo, the media owners need to “trust and recognise women’s abilities”.
He had to take deliberate action to ensure there is not just balance in appointment to different areas, but also in advancing women to positions of authority. “We were not appointing and assigning women for the sake of it, but on ability.” The situation is not unique to Botswana. While having observed progression in the media industry on the continent, Jane Godia, the Africa director of Women In News, says there is also regress in the professional growth of women in the media.
Godia says many women do not last in positions of authority. “There are so many internal factors that make her stay on the job difficult. It has still not dawned on men that women can lead as most still view media leadership as a male domain and no woman can fit in. Women are fought when they hold such positions, their ideas or suggestions are ignored and not because they are not good, but because it comes from a woman. Unfortunately, women find it hard to fight back and their only option is to resign.”
Victimisation of women in the media has the union worried. Phillimon Mmeso, the president of the Botswana Media and Allied Workers Union, says part of the reason why women do not advance is that most are relegated to reporting on ‘soft’ issues such as entertainment, where the publishers hardly see value.
Those who are assigned beats that are the preserve of men, such as politics, “are being abused, and the abuse is not only from the stakeholders, but the bosses themselves. This contributes to many young female journalists leaving the profession, and due to the small industry of ours, you find that they cannot even report the abuse since you know it will be known and you will be victimised,” says Mmeso. “Hence you see no progression of women in the media.” The union is proactive to reverse the status quo. Mmeso said they have decided to start at institutions of learning, training media students on their rights. Godia agrees that raising awareness is important, not only in fighting victimisation but also to ensure women know they are capable to lead.
“There is also a need to coach and mentor women who aspire for leadership positions and share with them skills of fighting boardroom and newsroom wars.” The WIN Accelerator Programme is equipping women in the media to take up their position in leadership.