Gender inequalities are a hot topic in many countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is no exception to the rule. The Congolese media have been singled out for their under-representation of women, this is revealed by the investigation report of the Congolese Union of Women in the Media (UCOFEM) presented on May 30. This survey was conducted among 30 Kinshasa media from November 1 to 14, 2022, in collaboration with UNESCO, the International Program for the Development of Communication (IPDC) and the International Organization Journalists for humanity rights (JDH/RDC ).
The report highlights the under-representation of women at decision-making level, with women representing only 26% against 74% of men. Moreover, only four television channels out of eight and three radio stations out of 30 have a gender desk. With regard to print media companies, the latter are represented up to 25% by women, against 75% for men. Online media are not to be outdone with an under-representation of women estimated at 20%.
The National Executive Director of UCOFEM, Rose Masala Ndarabu, invites women journalists to fight for the representation of women, stressing that only a woman can better know the needs of other women. Media organizations are also invited to act in favor of gender parity, by putting in place policies in favor of gender equality.
In conclusion, the UCOFEM study highlights gender disparities in the Congolese media. The results of this study should challenge the Congolese media so that they take into account the question of the place of women in the media and improve their representativeness.