Women in media face obstacles to obtaining leading positions — study

AMMAN — More opportunities need to be given to women to open the door for them to assume leading positions in the media sector, as a study showed that 90 per cent of the field’s women face obstacles, media experts said.

The study, which was conducted by International Media Support, in collaboration with the Jordanian National Commission for Women, indicated that women represent 23 per cent of the overall number of media personnel in Jordan. 

The overall number of workers in the media sector, including members and non-members of the Jordan Press Association, stands at 1,873, of whom 444 are women.

Discriminating against women in terms of opportunities, evaluation and recognition of performance and financial inequalities are among the obstacles women in media face, according to the study.

Commenting on the study, Rakan Saaydeh, president of the Jordan Press Association, said: “Unfortunately women are not given fair opportunities to assume leading positions in the media sector, even though they are highly capable.”

“Media outlets need to focus more on empowering women in the field and giving them equal opportunities, as they are highly educated and highly capable, but the problem of the limited percentage of women in leading positions is not only restricted to the media scene, as this is also evident in all other professions,” he told The Jordan Times on Monday.

He added that women, at the same time, need to fight for their rights to assume leading positions.

“This is a right that they need to fight for and exert their maximum efforts in light of the current conditions,” he added.

Rania Tadros, a journalist at Al Rai, said there are still some “traditional stereotypes” that prevail about women in the sector.

“Women can assume leading positions, but they are not given the opportunity for that. Some of the women in the field are role models and have made tremendous achievements, but this is not always highlighted and celebrated,” Tadros told The Jordan Times.

“Women need an opportunity and need to be empowered… at the same time, they also need to continue developing their skills and compete, and not take media as an office job for which they simply get paid at the end of the month, but rather continue to [strive to] move up the career ladder,” she added.