The call for deliberate action to promote gender equity in media management took centre stage at a one-day media engagement organised by Bilkis Abdulraheem as part of her leadership project under the Sixth Report Women Female Reporters Leadership Programme (FRLP) fellowship.
Held in collaboration with Radio Nigeria, the training brought together 23 (12 females and 11 males) management staff of Bond FM, Lagos, and senior lecturers from the National Broadcasting Academy (NBA). Lekan Otufodunrin, Executive Director of the Media Career Development Network, and Juliana Francis, Publisher of Security News Alert, served as resource persons.
Francis emphasised the need for greater visibility of women in newsroom leadership, urging the adoption of policies such as inclusive hiring, on-site childcare, and confidential complaint desks to address sexual harassment.
In his session, Otufodunrin noted that women are still underrepresented in news content—only 24% of global news subjects—and are often portrayed as victims. He called for deliberate inclusion of women in editorial meetings, balanced story representation, and equitable beat assignments, while encouraging female journalists to pursue training opportunities.
To sustain this advocacy for gender equity, Abdulraheem would work with the Director of Academic Planning at the NBA to advocate for the inclusion of Gender Studies in the curriculum and the launch of a mentoring programme.
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