On November 26-28, CSML [7] hosted the “Advancing Women in the Media” conference; an event resulted in a comprehensive strategy on advancing women in the media, as articulated by attendees. Nearly 100 representatives of the media and civil came together to review the media landscape in Liberia as it relates to the presence of women in newsrooms, women’s access to information and the advancement of women in leadership roles in the media and to advanced suggestions on the way forward in creating a comprehensive Women in the Media Strategy that has national ownership.
The CSML Women’s Media Initiative will increase the number of female journalists in the country, prepare women for leadership roles, build their capacity to become quoted sources in the media, and will ultimately ensure that women become more active members of media audiences.
Women’s under representation is reflected in nearly every professional sector in Liberia with the media being no exception. Studies conducted by various media development organizations show that women account for a mere 13 to 16 percent of the total number of journalists in the country. In fact, IRE’s start-up media assessment (51 media outlets assessed) revealed that many outlets have three to five women performing editorial roles out of an average staff of 25.
Partners at the event included: IREX and LIWOMAC, ActionAid, the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FEJAL), the Media Women Center for Democracy and Development (MEWOCEDE), and the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) [8].