Every society tells itself stories about who belongs in positions of power, whose voices deserve to be heard, and whose experiences matter. For generations, many of those stories have been shaped by systems that have placed women and girls on the margins of leadership, politics, business, science and public decision-making.
But stories are not neutral.
They shape perceptions. They influence attitudes. They determine whose leadership is considered legitimate and whose ambitions are questioned.
This is why the media occupies a powerful position in the global struggle for gender equality. Beyond reporting events, journalism helps define social norms. It can challenge stereotypes that limit women’s participation—or it can unintentionally reinforce them.
This conversation took centre stage in Kigali, Rwanda, where media practitioners, gender experts and civil society actors gathered for a seminar on Advancing Transformative Gender Social Norms to Enhance Women and Youth Participation and Representation in Leadership and Decision-Making.
The discussions offered a critical reminder that achieving gender equality requires more than increasing the number of women in leadership. It requires transforming the narratives that determine how society views women’s authority, competence and right to participate.
As Tikikel Tadele, UN Women Rwanda’s Officer-in-Charge, noted during the engagement, “Every editorial decision, interview and headline has the potential either to reinforce harmful stereotypes or to challenge them.”
That reality places a profound responsibility on newsrooms.
A headline that focuses on a woman leader’s appearance rather than her policies, a profile that questions how a female politician balances family and public responsibilities while rarely asking the same of men, or a news report that portrays women primarily as victims rather than agents of change all contribute to a society’s understanding of gender roles.
The media does not merely report social norms.
It helps create them.
Africa has made significant commitments towards advancing women’s participation in governance and decision-making.
The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) recognises the importance of democratic participation, inclusion and accountable governance. The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) places obligations on states to promote women’s equal participation in political and public life.
Globally, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) calls for the elimination of discrimination against women in political and public spheres, while the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action identifies women and the media as one of its critical areas of concern.
Yet legal commitments alone cannot transform societies if public narratives continue to question women’s place in leadership.
This is where journalism becomes central.
A democracy cannot be fully representative when half of society is routinely underrepresented, misrepresented or subjected to gendered scrutiny.
International IDEA Principal Adviser on Democracy and Inclusion, Rumbidzai Kandawasvika-Nhundu, captured one of the persistent inequalities in political reporting when she challenged journalists on the different standards applied to women and men.
“The media hardly ask men those responsibilities,” she said, referring to questions women leaders often face about family responsibilities and their ability to balance leadership with personal life.
The question is simple but powerful: Why are women still required to prove they can lead, while men are assumed capable?
This double standard reflects deeper societal assumptions that leadership is inherently masculine.
The role of journalism must therefore move beyond simply including more women in stories. It must examine the language, framing and assumptions behind those stories.
Gender-sensitive reporting is sometimes misunderstood as giving women favourable coverage.
It is not.
It is about accuracy.
It is about ensuring that women are represented as experts, decision-makers and leaders across all areas of public life—not only in stories about gender, family or social issues.
A woman economist should be quoted on economic policy. A woman scientist should be recognised for scientific innovation. A woman community leader should be seen as a political actor, not merely a beneficiary of development programmes.
The same principle applies to reporting on gender-based violence.
For too long, coverage of violence against women has sometimes focused on sensational details rather than the systemic factors that enable abuse. Ethical journalism requires survivor-centred reporting that protects dignity, avoids victim-blaming and examines accountability.
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The media has a responsibility not only to report violence but also to explain the social structures that allow it to continue.
The challenge has become even more complex in the digital age.
Technology has expanded opportunities for women’s voices to be heard, but it has also created new spaces for harassment, intimidation and gender-based violence.
Across Africa, women politicians, journalists, activists and public figures are increasingly targeted through online abuse, misinformation and coordinated digital attacks.
The rise of artificial intelligence has intensified these threats, allowing perpetrators to create manipulated images, deepfakes and false narratives designed to damage women’s reputations and discourage participation in public life.
This is not simply an online problem.
It is a democratic challenge.
When women withdraw from public spaces because of harassment and abuse, society loses diverse voices, perspectives and leadership.
The media has a critical role in responding. Newsrooms must not only report on digital violence but also develop the skills needed to identify manipulated content, challenge misinformation and protect those targeted.
Transformative reporting begins inside newsrooms.
Media organisations must examine their own structures, from editorial leadership to sourcing practices. Who makes decisions about coverage? Whose voices are considered authoritative? Who gets interviewed as an expert?
Diverse newsrooms produce more diverse journalism.
But inclusion cannot end with hiring women journalists. It requires creating environments in which journalists can challenge stereotypes and in which gender equality becomes part of editorial culture.
As Gambian journalist Alieu Ceesay observed, “The role of the media is key in changing perception.”
He warned that many societies still hold the belief that leadership belongs primarily to men while women should remain confined to traditional roles.
Journalism has the power to challenge those assumptions.
It can tell stories of women leading communities, building businesses, shaping policy and transforming societies. It can redefine what leadership looks like for future generations.
The global commitment to gender equality, reflected in Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality and SDG 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, cannot be achieved without addressing the narratives that influence public attitudes.
Governments have a role. International organisations have a role. Civil society has a role.
But the media has a unique responsibility.
Because before societies change their laws, they often change their minds.
And minds are shaped by stories.
The future of gender equality will not only be determined in parliaments, boardrooms or international conferences. It will also be determined in newsrooms, through the choices journalists and editors make every day.
The question facing the media is therefore not whether it has influence.
It is how that influence will be used.
Will journalism continue to reflect old inequalities, or will it become a powerful force for building societies where women and young people are recognised not as participants waiting for permission, but as leaders shaping the future?
The stories we tell today will define the world we create tomorrow.
