“When women are missing, democracy is incomplete.” Those words from UN Women’s Kirsi Madi cut straight to the point. If half the population is marginalized in stories and media, how can societies claim to be representative or fair? The recent UN report highlights these disparities evident in the ongoing under-representation, mis-representation and marginalization of women in the media.
Why inclusive media is vital for democracy
Across the world, women lead local initiatives, support education, and build resilience for their communities. Take Kunduz in Afghanistan, where Mehrgan’s organisation, once crippled by funding losses, has revived with UN Women’s support. It is now helping other groups rebuild too. These stories matter. When coverage frames women solely as victims, it erases leadership and hides the progress they drive every day. Sharing examples like Mehrgan’s shifts perception, making space for solutions, not just problems.
The gaps in reporting gender-based violence are glaring. Even though abuse is an almost ubiquitous reality, less than two of every hundred news stories report on it. And when coverage does happen, it tends to invoke stereotypes about guilt or blame, victim silence, and language that diminishes trauma. Not only do we inform damage, we ultimately shape ways of seeing the world that lead to greater inequality. Minority women face even greater hurdles. Not only is coverage pitifully low, but less than one of ten women featured in news reports comes from a minority group.
There is a silver lining after all!
That’s not to say we are completely stuck. Digital media is prying open gaps from the wall. There has been a steady rise in the number of female online reporters, with the pandemic years magnifying these gains to unprecedented levels. Global initiatives like UnStereotype Alliance and HeForShe, are also producing changes against old patterns and representations in news and advertising. Small wins, of course, but they create ripples.
As the UN’s 80th General Assembly nears, the urgency is clear. In the last thirty years, we have made very slow, and largely stagnant, progress. For democracy to live fully, the stories of women need telling—accurately, widely, and with the complexity they deserve. The media can help facilitate that change, if it so chooses.
