MS Alana Baron, Programme Manager of International Women Media Foundation (IWMF) has entreated media organisations to help encourage gender equity within the media organisational structure.
She observed that gender equity would help to accommodate women voices to fight against women issues in the society.
She made this known at a meeting with 10 African Journalist on Press freedom and Press security tour at Washington DC.
The tour organised by Washington Foreign Press Centre and was sponsored by the United State Department.
She said a study conducted by IWMF from 2008 to 2010 on media women globally revealed that women were being undermined in the practice of journalism.
Ms Alana stated that free flow of information is an essential ingredient of open and democratic society.
She said there could not be freedom of the press until women have equal voice in the news gathering and determination processes.
The IWMF two years global report on the statues of women seeks to fill the gap by presenting more women on gender positions in news organisations around the world.
She spoke against the attacks of women journalist in the society, adding that women who form half of the world population must be given equal opportunities at all levels.
Ms Alana said the findings was presented in the report conducted about women statues globally in media ownership, publishing, governance, reporting, editing, photo journalism and other jobs related to media.
She said more than 500 media organisations examined in about 60 countries showed that men occupied the vast majority of the management jobs.
The research also revealed that 73 per cent of top management jobs were being occupied by men as compared to 27 per cent occupied by women.
Ms Alana said among the ranks of reporters men held nearly two thirds of the jobs as compared to women, adding that about 41 per cent of women were in the field of news gathering, editing and writing jobs.
She called for measures by institutions and media organisations to improve on the statues of women to empower them in both decision making and supervisory roles, adding that men and women must participate equally in the making of news and coverage of issues.
GNA
