Where are the women? Inside the gender gap holding back Kenya’s newsrooms – reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk

 

Gender Inequality in Kenyan Media: A Barrier to Sustainable Development Goals

Report Summary

An analysis of the Kenyan media landscape reveals significant gender disparities in leadership and content, posing a direct challenge to the achievement of key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The underrepresentation of women in editorial and business leadership roles directly contravenes the principles of SDG 5 (Gender Equality). This leadership deficit results in news content that fails to reflect the lives and concerns of half the population, undermining SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) by limiting inclusive public discourse and access to information. Furthermore, systemic barriers within newsrooms impede progress on SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) for female journalists. This report outlines the scope of the issue, its impact on sustainable development, and the emerging alternative platforms challenging the status quo.

The Leadership Deficit: Hindering Progress on SDG 5 (Gender Equality)

Failure to Ensure Equal Opportunities in Leadership (SDG 5.5)

The Kenyan media sector demonstrates a significant failure to meet the objectives of SDG 5.5, which calls for women’s full participation and equal opportunities for leadership. Despite constituting a substantial portion of the workforce, women are largely excluded from decision-making roles.

• A study by the Aga Khan University’s Graduate School of Media and Communications found that while women make up nearly 40% of the media workforce, they hold only 20% of editorial leadership positions and 11% of top business leadership roles.
• The Reuters Institute reports that only 18% of Kenya’s top editors are women, the third lowest among 12 countries surveyed.

Zubeida Kananu, the first female president of the Kenya Editors Guild, confirms that this structural imbalance persists, stating, “The hierarchy of what matters hasn’t shifted much.” This perpetuates a media agenda that imagines its audience as male and prioritizes subjects accordingly, sidelining issues critical to gender equality.

Content Bias and its Impact on Gender Equality Targets

The dominance of male perspectives in editorial leadership directly influences news content, creating an “invisible frame” that normalizes men as subjects, sources, and experts. This bias undermines efforts to achieve gender equality by reinforcing harmful stereotypes and rendering women’s experiences invisible.

Dr. Hesbon Owila, a lead researcher on the Aga Khan study, notes that this “male gaze” is a result of “editorial habits formed in a system that normalises men as subjects.” This systemic issue means that even stories concerning gender-based violence or family planning are often deemed unworthy of prominent coverage, directly impeding public awareness and action related to SDG 5.2 (Eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls).

Media Content Analysis: A Failure in Upholding SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)

Exclusion from Public Discourse (SDG 16.10)

The media’s role in ensuring public access to information, a cornerstone of SDG 16.10, is compromised by the systematic underrepresentation of women in news coverage. An analysis conducted during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence campaign revealed a stark content disparity.

• Only 11% of newspaper stories covered women in political, business, and economic events.
• For television, the figure was even lower at 9%.
• Across East Africa, women were absent from headline stories on 40% of the days reviewed.

This exclusion from coverage of governance, economics, and entrepreneurship effectively sidelines women from critical public and political discourse, weakening the democratic fabric that strong institutions rely upon.

Portrayal and Democratic Deficit (SDG 16.7)

When women are featured, their portrayal often fails to support the goal of SDG 16.7 (Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making). The report notes that women are frequently framed as “victims of circumstances” or in passive roles, rather than as leaders, experts, or agents of change. Communications expert Muthoni Mukono observes that critical issues like femicide are treated as “a sad story” rather than an urgent political issue requiring accountability. This framing prevents meaningful public engagement and policy reform, contributing to what Mukono calls a “democratic failure.”

Systemic Barriers and the Rise of Alternative Platforms

Challenges to Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8)

The media industry’s internal environment presents significant barriers to achieving SDG 8, particularly for women. Zubeida Kananu highlights that many talented women exit journalism due to hostile work environments, harassment, and stalled promotions. “The system was designed to exhaust them,” she states, indicating a systemic failure to provide decent work and equal opportunities for career advancement as mandated by SDG 8.5.

Addressing Inequalities and Promoting Inclusion (SDG 10)

In response to the mainstream media’s failure to be inclusive (a challenge to SDG 10.2), a growing number of women are turning to or creating alternative platforms. This shift is driven by a desire for content that reflects their lived realities.

1. Audience Disengagement: Women like Muthoni Mukono actively avoid mainstream news, finding it “exhausting” and disconnected from their lives.
2. Emergence of New Media: Youth-focused podcasts like ‘Fanya Mambo Africa’, produced by Thee Alfa House, are filling the vacuum by connecting policy to everyday concerns in a relatable format, particularly for young women.
3. Feminist Collectives: Organizations such as FEMNET, AMWIK, and WanaData are producing stories for women, challenging traditional editorial norms and creating spaces for authentic narratives.

These platforms represent a grassroots effort to build a more inclusive media ecosystem, though they often operate with limited funding and reach.

Conclusion: Media Reform as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development

The gender disparity in Kenyan media is not merely an industry issue; it is a fundamental obstacle to national development. The failure to ensure equal representation in leadership and content directly undermines progress on SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). As Zubeida Kananu asserts, “Diversity isn’t just about who sits at the table. It’s about who sets the agenda.” To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, Kenya’s media institutions must undergo structural reform that moves beyond token representation to fundamentally change editorial values and priorities. The future relevance and democratic function of the media depend on its ability to serve and reflect the entire population.

Relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• The article extensively discusses gender disparity in the Kenyan media industry. It highlights the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions, the biased portrayal of women in news content, and the sidelining of stories relevant to women’s lives, such as gender-based violence and family health. These issues are central to achieving gender equality.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The article points to systemic issues within the media workplace that hinder women’s careers. It mentions that women make up 40% of the workforce but hold significantly fewer leadership roles. It also notes that many women leave journalism due to “harassment, stalled promotions or hostile work environments,” which directly relates to the goal of ensuring decent work and safe working environments for all.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• The media is a critical institution for democracy. The article argues that by sidelining women’s voices and perspectives, the Kenyan media fails in its democratic duty to provide the public with comprehensive information and hold power to account. The rise of alternative media platforms like podcasts and feminist collectives is a direct response to the failure of traditional media institutions to be inclusive and representative. A lawyer is quoted saying, “When women are poorly represented in the media, it’s not just a gender issue… It’s a democratic failure.”

Specific SDG Targets

SDG 5: Gender Equality

1. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
   
   The article directly addresses this target by detailing the lack of women in media leadership. It states that women occupy only “11% of top business leadership roles and 20% of editorial leadership” and that only “18% of Kenya’s top editors are women.” This demonstrates a clear lack of equal opportunities for leadership in the public life sphere of media.
2. Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres.
   
   The article implies this target by discussing how the media covers (or fails to cover) gender-based violence. It notes that stories about femicide are treated as “just a sad story. Not political, not urgent,” and that the perpetrator often goes unnamed, shifting the focus from accountability to sympathy. This editorial framing undermines efforts to address and eliminate violence against women.
3. Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.
   
   The article highlights the need for structural change beyond just recruitment. The call to “change how leadership thinks” and tackle “entrenched male-dominated networks” and “hostile work environments” points to the need for stronger internal policies within media organizations to promote gender equality.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

1. Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value.
   
   The article shows a gap in achieving this target. While women constitute “nearly 40% of the media workforce,” their progression to leadership is stalled, indicating a lack of “full and productive employment” opportunities equivalent to men. The disparity between workforce participation and leadership roles points to systemic barriers to career advancement for women.
2. Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers…
   
   This target is relevant as the article explicitly states that many talented women “left journalism not because they weren’t good, but because the system was designed to exhaust them.” It cites “harassment, stalled promotions or hostile work environments” as key reasons, highlighting the failure to provide a safe and secure working environment for female journalists.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

1. Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms…
   
   The article demonstrates how biased media coverage limits public access to comprehensive information. By sidelining women’s stories and quoting women “eight times less than men in political stories,” the media provides a skewed version of reality. The fact that many women “actively avoid the news” and turn to alternative platforms shows that traditional media institutions are failing to serve the entire public, thus undermining this target.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

For Target 5.5 (Women’s Leadership)

• Indicator: Proportion of women in senior and middle management positions.
  
  The article provides specific figures that can be used as a baseline: “women make up nearly 40% of the media workforce in Kenya, they occupy only 11% of top business leadership roles and 20% of editorial leadership.” Another data point is that “only 18% of Kenya’s top editors are women.”
• Indicator: Proportion of news consumers accessing women-led media.
  
  The article notes a positive trend: “53% of Kenyan news consumers now access at least one woman-led outlet, a sharp 21-point increase from 32% the previous year.”

For Target 16.10 (Public Access to Information)

• Indicator: Proportion of news stories featuring women as subjects or sources.
  
  The article provides data from a study: “Only 11% of the total number of newspaper stories covered women in political, business, entrepreneurship and economic events or activities.” For television, the figure was “even lower at just 9%.” It also mentions women are quoted “eight times less than men in political stories.”
• Indicator: Qualitative assessment of how women are portrayed in media.
  
  The article implies this indicator by describing how women are often framed as “victims of circumstances,” in “symbolic or passive roles,” or in stories about “national events or beauty pageants” rather than governance or economics.

For Target 8.8 (Safe Work Environments)

• Indicator: Qualitative reports on workplace environment.
  
  The article implies this through anecdotal evidence. The statement that women exit journalism because they are “worn down by harassment, stalled promotions or hostile work environments” serves as a qualitative indicator of an unsafe and insecure working environment that hinders career longevity for women.

Summary of Findings

SDGs	Targets	Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article
SDG 5: Gender Equality	5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership.	Proportion of women in top business leadership roles (11%). Proportion of women in editorial leadership roles (20%). Proportion of top editors who are women (18%).
	5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.	Qualitative framing of femicide in news as a “sad story” rather than a “call for accountability.”
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth	8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all.	Disparity between women’s workforce participation (40%) and their representation in leadership roles (11-20%).
	8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments.	Qualitative reports of women leaving journalism due to harassment, stalled promotions, and hostile work environments.
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms.	Proportion of newspaper stories covering women in key sectors (11%). Proportion of television stories covering women in key sectors (9%). Frequency of women being quoted vs. men (women quoted 8 times less). Qualitative evidence of audiences (especially women) avoiding mainstream news and turning to alternative platforms.

Source: reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk