Deconstruction off gender stereotypes in the media: An analysis of media framing of women in leadership positions in parliament and State-Owned Enterprises (SOE'S) in Namibia
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Date
2020
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Publisher
University of Namibia
Abstract
The study examines the power the media play in driving public perceptions and makes a cogent case to challenge the traditional gender stereotypical frameworks assigned to women in media reportage in politics and corporate business. The study analysed gender stereotypical frameworks in the Namibian print media on women in leadership positions in Parliament and State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) by employing the triangulation method of using both the quantitative and qualitative tools of analysis of data collected from news articles in four newspapers, namely: The Namibian, Namibian Sun, New Era and Windhoek Observer, for a period of seven years (2013-2019).The study established that, among others, women in leadership positions in both Parliament and SOEs are targets of gendered stereotypes and the Namibian print media are more prone to discuss women in leadership’s behavioural and character traits, name-calling is recurrent, their position of power is challenged, their competency is questioned and masculine frames are reinforced. The study recommends that media houses endorse policies that can heighten and deconstruct the language used in media reportage on women in leadership positions in Parliament and SOEs. The public sector and civil society need to reinforce policy direction on gender through on-going training courses for journalists to periodically resuscitate gender-awareness in their writing. Government needs to introduce a national drive to popularise the National Gender Policy and address patriarchal attitudes, while universities and colleges need to incorporate gendered media studies into their curriculums.
Description
A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Media Studies)
Keywords
Gender stereotypes, Gender research