Far from gender balance : the persisting underrepresentation of women in the media

Abstract

This chapter focuses on gender equality in the media in the 27 countries of the European Union and takes stock of the longitudinal data collected within the Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM) project between 2016 and 2022. The MPM tool consistently shows that gender equality in the media is a source of concern and one of the most at-risk aspects of media pluralism. Although the MPM has recorded a modest improvement in the representation of women in the top echelons of media organisations, it is still far from parity. In addition, this increase does not go hand in hand with improvements in the fair representation of women in news and current affairs, nor with the presence of female experts in media content. In fact, assessing and monitoring gender equality in media content is difficult due to an acute lack of data. As the public service media should be at the forefront of gender equality and inclusiveness, it is worrisome that the proportion of countries where public service media with a comprehensive gender policy has been stagnating over time. Even when available, the policies are often not comprehensive, and their pure existence is not a guarantor of the fair representation of women in leadership positions.