Bangladeshi media still a man’s world
Only 10 percent of the total employees are female in Bangladesh's media, while only about 6 percent are in reporting, found a recent global study.
The study, titled "Gender Equality and Media Regulation Study Bangladesh", was conducted by Management and Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) in Bangladesh by surveying 18 media houses. It was initiated by Sweden's Fojo Media Institute. The lead writer and principal investigator of the study is Qurratul-Ain-Tahmina.
MRDI consulted and interviewed 37 individuals, including legal experts, academicians, researchers, government officials, stakeholders, editors, journalist leaders and key informant journalists, and checked with at least 20 more for supplementary information, verification and clarification. They also selected a total of 43 acts and rules, including the constitution and 12 national-level media policies, for analysis.
The study found a total of 5,950 employees in the 18 media houses, including eight national and local newspapers, seven television channels, two FM radios and an online news portal.
Among the 5,950 employees, only 612 were female. The highest number of female employees work at BTV, while the lowest number was found in Abc Radio. Among the 302 employees in decision-making roles, only 41 were female. Only 14 percent of female employees worked as senior content makers, while only 5.7 percent were in reporting among a total of 909 reporters. According to the study, 15 media houses reported measures to be in place for gender equality in newsrooms, without ensuring proper balance.
Maternity leave was found to be provided by all except two organisations. A northern regional newspaper did not provide maternity leaves for their female employees, while another one chose to abstain from answering the question. Other issues included drop-off services from late evening onward and separate washroom facilities.
However, the number of separate washrooms is still inadequate. The study also found inclusive toilets to be rare, which is a necessity to make the industry accessible for non-binary individuals.
Female journalists who were interviewed talked about various types of gender-based harassment in newsrooms. All except a regional daily from the south-east were found to be aware of the 2009 guidelines for ending abuses and harassment of women at workplaces.
Two newspapers and two TV channels, including BTV and a radio outlet, reported forming the mandatory complaint redress committee and provided disaggregated numbers of committee members. However, all except for five organisations said they had not received any formal complaint of this nature in the last five years. Meanwhile, none of the 18 organisations has childcare facilities at work.
The study recommended formulation of anti-discrimination and gender-equality laws, encompassing public and personal spheres.
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