Agbenu Esther Ochoga Media, Gender and Conflict: the Problem of eradicating female Stereotyping of in Nigeria

ntroduction: The myth that our human world is a mens world is founded upon the practical reality of the complete over-riding and dominant influence of the male over the female gender in all facets of our public life. Modern education together with the advancement in science and technology, which processes have accelerated in tandem especially in the last century, have tremendously increased the skill ac uisitions and enhanced the productive efficiencies and capabilities of women as much as men. !rmed with these two, women have e"panded their roles from procreation and social care-giving within the family to ma#or and significant contributions to development in all fields of human concern and endeavors. $et in spite of their significant contributions in modern society, women have continued to be regarded and treated as a second fiddle and un-e ual partners in the modern human development process. The structure of ine uality pitched against the female gender has become an issue of grave concern in human development discourses. %ne of the big challenges facing the world today is therefore how to eliminate the gender disparity and gap between men and women and allow e ual opportunities to all human persons without recourse to gender bias. !t the global level, the &nited 'ations has taken the ma#or step by highlighting the achievement of gender e uality in our world as one of the Millennium (evelopment )oals *M()s+. !t the level of individual nations, the global awareness campaign for the cause of women is yielding #ust very little results. This is especially the case with countries in !frica. The little change seems to be mainly in the area of politics, where the strong fight by the women has produced the first female ,resident in -iberia today in the ,erson of .er /"cellency, /llen 0ohnson 1irleaf. 2n other public walks of life such as in the professions and speciali3ed fields of work,

women in !frica particularly have still remained marginali3ed and e"cluded especially from the commanding heights or echelon of leadership and control of the decision making and policy formulation processes. 'igeria, like most !frican countries, is still faced with the big challenge of achieving a better status for the women gender in the public life of the nation. The 'igerian society generally seems to be very slow in accepting the change evolving in the roles of women in the modern world. The perception, attitude and recognition is still very low, with the result that women have continued to be marginali3ed and denied leadership positions in all walks of life. -eadership in noble professions like Medicine, !rchitecture, and 0ournalism among others is still the e"clusive reserve of the men folk which is denied to women even when they ualify and e"cel in the professional practice. This is more or less a cultural thing. The 0ournalism profession is particularly one of the crucial areas in which the marginali3ation and e"clusion of women has played out most saliently in the modern 'igerian society. The representation of women in the media in 'igeria has long been an issue of ma#or concern and one of the main areas of focus for research in mass media studies. These in uiries have focused on the way women are seen, faired and perceived by those who set media agenda in 'igeria. The issue is borne out of the subordination of women by those who control the mass media. !s the problem still persists, the discourse can never cease to be carried on, hence the needs for more studies until the final solutions are found. This proposed research is yet another effort in that direction. !ac"ground: 2n 'igeria, the business of writing and reposting the news has been an e"clusively male dominated industry. Though few women have ventured into the industry, the percentage of women in the #ournalism professional in 'igeria is e"ceptionally low. Those in decision-making capacity are nothing to be proud of. 2t is appalling to note that with all the national newspapers in 'igeria 56 of them *onlinenigeria,com+ only one actually has a woman as the editor. .owever, some women do serve as line editors. 0udging by the population of 'igeria as of 7889 of

well over :8 million people, women and men are almost e ual in number *;9, 7<:4.== male > ;7,:44.89; female+ *httt?@@www.population.gov.nf@factandfigure.htm+, $et the number of women represented in the media is less than five percent. Moreover, the few that have been given the opportunity to become part of this e"clusive club have had to put up with great resistance. The women have had to fight for respect, e ual opportunity and credibility. The hegemony of the male gender has been accentuated by their continued dominance of the media establishment. The ability to maintain their grip on the industry has allowed them to continue to set the limits and the e"tent to which women are involved in decision making process in the profession. Aith the total lack of representation in the industry, the image of the 'igerian women that has continued to be pro#ected in the society generally and in the Media circles in particular, has remained negative, and continued to undermine and berate or derogate the status and substance of the modern 'igerian woman. There is no appreciation for womens role in media. The discourse and overall agenda is set such that women are viewed as pretty faces that are suitable mainly for entertainment purposes. The structure of the media content in 'igeria has continued to promote the notion that women in the media should be reserved for roles of se"uality and trivialities. This sub#ective representation of women in the Media industry of 'igeria is a ma#or source of concern for many reasons. 2t undermines the rights of women and denies them e ual opportunities of advancement. 2ssues of relevance to women in the agenda of human development are never initiated or fully featured in the Media content. 2t also denies the 'igerian society the benefit of ma"imi3ing the full potentials and human resources of the women in the national development process. The present era in our human development is rightly referred to as the 2nformation !ge. This is a factual reference to the determinant role information plays in enabling as well as enhancing development in modern human society. The Media industry is therefore a portent tool in shaping as well as the vehicle for driving the development process in every nation. 2t not only plays these roles through dissemination and propagation of ideas that increase knowledge and enable

change, but also by raising the right issues to shape the discourse and agenda of development. !de uate representation of all the social strata of the human population of the country is the main guarantee that the Media content and agenda will reflect issues and interests of all members of the society. This essential re uirement is lacking in the Media practice in 'igeria as the women who make up such a substantial percentage of the population are e"cluded and marginali3ed. The issue of lack of ade uate women participation in all sectors of the 'igerian society especially in the Media seems therefore to have a direct implication for the continued failure of development in the country. More studies are therefore necessary to search for appropriate solutions to this grave challenge to development in 'igeria. !ny history of gender and media needs to recogni3e gender stereotypesB their e"istence has significant conse uences. Media establishment history in 'igeria clearly reveals that women have virtually no influence in determining how they are represented. Thus, media images are fashioned through the eyes of men and decision makers. Aomen are e ually aware of the discriminatory hiring practices in the 'igeria media industry for a long time. 2t must be noted that officials pay little attention to this cancerous problem that continues to eat through the fabric of the society. The fact remains that the 'igerian media do not reflect gender demographics of the nation. !nother problem with reiterating conception of masculinity and feminity that associate a fi"ed set of ualities with each gender is that they conceal the importance of social characteristics other than gender. /ven among persons of the same gender, e"periences with media often depend on ones race, nationality or class, therefore perceptions of the media and its content are gendered. Ma#ority of 'igerian women seem to be satisfied with their roles as wives, mother, and housekeepers, which are the images portrayed on television. /ach media organi3ation has formal policies that govern the content of its products, se"ism rarely arise in these policies. 2t is imperative to counterbalance the impaired presentation of women in the media at large and to cover events and issues of concern to women.

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2ne uality e"ists in media employment, in editorial and advertising decisions. 1ocial values, often hidden from analysis, are the bedrock of ine uality. Aomen have very few female role models in #ournalism. Therefore, it is difficult for female students to imagine themselves as successful professionals and for male students to interact with professional women. Aith faculties composed largely of men, female students must seek counseling from men. Media content is monotonously stereotypic in portrayals of women and men, Aomen are portrayed as passive, while men as aggressive and independent. Men control Media organi3ations that produce these stereotypic portrayals. Cery few of the hundreds of media publishers, producers, editors, etc., are women. The vernacular newspaper, 2we 2rohin, was the first 'igerian newspaper to be established since 4=5:. Thus the 'igerian media now has a history of well over 4<8 years. 1ince the inception of television in the western part of the country in 4:5:, there are about 476 television and radio stations in 'igeria. 2n spite of this long history and the array of media establishments in 'igeria, women have been e"cluded from the mainstream for all these years. The situation was not helped by countless regulations promulgated by different military administrations in terms of media control, which did not do anything to address the disparities between men and women in the media industry. Stereotypes of Nigerian #omen 2n 'igeria like any other countries, television, radio and print media influence, shape and direct the public thinking. 1ince women in politics are a novel thing in the country, one would have thought that the 'igerian media would portray women in a more palatable way than stereotyping. The rationale for triviali3ation of women is e"pressed in article written by .olt3man *4:6=+. .e wrote? 2n 'igeria situation, a lot of historical, social research *sic+ conducted, indicated that the *sic+ womens place is in the home. Dight from childhood, children *male and female+ are taught to keep the roles associated with their se"es. Eor e"ample, a boy cannot be taught how to cook in the kitchen e"cept after his seem day *sic+ education he may be interested in catering studies as a profession.

To drive this point home he adds, The 'igeria constitution is the only document, which would have declared nil *sic+, and void the role of women as mothers in our homes only provides for e uality in terms of voting and contesting elections. Ahat Fitros means here is that 'igerian women should be relieved from their child bearing and domestic duties that society assigned to them. Goncurrently /3eani points out? it does not occur to see the constitution *which provides for full citi3enship rights as regards voting and office holding+ as a new model of thinking or a new code of society. /3eani, 4::<, p. 4:9-4:<+ 2t should be added that 'igerian Media are evident of this conservative and traditional stance *ibid.+ )iven the wide spread belief as e"pressed by Fitros and endorsed by the general population, when such occurs, less powerful group such as women are at risk of being devalued and stereotyped by the news outlets. !s !yseli *7888+ points out, when a group is construed negatively, it is easier to rally against such group. 1uch a label makes it psychologically easier to discriminate against the members of the group. /ndorsing this viewpoint, !nyanwu writes? ! content analysis of mainstream media in 'igeria reveals one dominant orientation. Aomen are largely seen and not heard. Their faces adorn newspapers. .owever, on important national and international issues, they fade out. /ven when the news is about them, the story only gains real prominence if there is a male authority figure or newsmaker on the scene, *!nyanwu, 7887, p. ;=+ Gender and Politics: 1taudt observed and cited in Dobertson et al. *4:=;?78;+, that contemporary womens group enter political fray with reason related to gender, they meet with limited success Eor e"ample, men create hostile climate for women in their demands. Ae are too familiar with slogans and warnings by male politicians of the dire conse uences of womens e uality such as soaring divorce rate, a rise in illegitimacy and the loss of !frican customs. This creates siege mentally and had disallowed women from participating in politics *ibid+. !mbition is a plus for men

but a liability for women. Aomen are often stigmati3ed by the system. %ver the years, women have become victims of irresponsible policy, se"ual ine uality within the system as well as lack of representation that continue to allow their interest to be underrepresented. 2n addition, according to 2feyinwa &de3uku *4:::+ and cited in the book Eemini3ation of (evelopment ,rocess in !frica, the woman is proletariat, and man the elite. Aomen were also e"tremely scarce in news department decision-making positions. 2t is an irony that there is no employment data to corroborate this deficiency, since there is no accountability of any form that ade uately pinpoints this acute shortage of women in the industry. The debate of whether women are less ualified or victims of se"ism has not been confirmed in the 'igerian media, nevertheless the fact remains that women are on the short end of the stick. 2t is appropriate to note the many names given to women in the media in 'igeria including one that portrays women as the weaker se" rather than looking at them as the most important asset in society. The communication of women issues in the media is hopelessly ridiculous since there is a lack of gender sensitive media policy that takes into account the appalling record of crime and negative reportage of women issues as well as overt se"ism in the mainstream broadcast @ print media. &nless women become ade uately represented in the 'igeria media to effectively play active role in promoting gender sensitivity, women will always be marginali3ed Many women organi3ations in 'igeria continue to maintain apolitical stance because of the dangers inherent in entering political fray. They are aware that they will not be successful. Dather than using their resources effectively in the political mainstream, most 'igerian women enter politics on the terms set by male elites, who use them for their own stakes. (uring the nationalist period in 'igeria, competing national parties bided for the support of this large group of women. 2n spite of their numbers and organi3ation, they merely served as vehicle to be tapped by the ma#or political parties than to stand as active group to be recogni3ed. *Gited in Dobertson, et al? 4:=;?78=+. 2n some instances, they were co-opted into the ma#or political parties to

strengthen the partys political base. 2n one instance, the party founded by the late Mrs. Dansome Huti was co-opted into the 'ational Gouncil of 'igeria and Gameroon *'G'G+ later changed to the *'ational Gouncil of 'igerian Giti3ens+. !s a result, the strength of her party was watered down or became ineffective in galvani3ing women to seek political positions. (uring the elections, these women organi3ations were nothing but toothless bulldogs. *2bid+. Gender and Conflict: The fact remains that the ratio of women to men in 'igeria media is comparatively small. Many of the social conflict issues raised directly affect womenB female genital mutilation, polygamy, property succession rights, as well as the more violent issues such as displacement, loss of loved ones and livelihoods, family disintegration, rape, and other forms of abuse of women and girls. 'otably the involvement of women in the media in 'igeria is a recent, postindependence development. The advent of moderni3ation coupled with creation of states as well as more radio and television broadcasting after the civil war brought some women into the all-male dominated media industry, even though the percentage of women in media remains comparatively low. Aomen in the media in 'igeria continue to come into conflict with this male-dominating media culture that continues to discriminate against women. The media society looks at independent-minded women #ournalists as threats to authority at home or rather se"ual prey to the all powerful men they happen to come in contact with during the course of their profession. 1ocial attitudes also suggest that the media ignore prominent womens views as #ournalists go about looking for authoritative comment. The consensus is that women issues are used to titillate and sell media products, while serious gender issues are neglected. 2t is a common practice in -iberia for women to buy spaces in the countrys newspaper to ensure that their views are heard. Meanwhile, women #ournalists have to fight hard to start a womens column and ensure that it survives. 'ewsroom pre#udices and realities that moved women towards handling only women issues rather than politics, economics and sports, include training,

opportunities, aptitude, and e"posure. 2t is common to see women #ournalists in 'igeria working in areas they are not suited for as they are not encouraged to move into the male dominated editorial and management areas. Ghris !nyanwu who spent time in prison under the military regime for what was said to have been her part in a coup plot is an e"ception to the rule having demonstrated her entrepreneurial and professional credentials in founding her own newspaper. There are disparities between males and females #ournalists as they e"ercise their professional duties. These disparities are borne out in conflict situations as women are perceived and regarded as liabilities and not bold enough to withstand the rigors of reporting from the field. Making such comments about women covering conflict situations as, women cannot run, they are frivolous, wear make up and long nails, even in a country like 'igeria where not many women are into the entire so called idiosyncrasy. 2t is an accepted norm in #ournalism to respect professionalism regardless of whether the #ournalist is a male or female. 2t is such an irony that 'igeria institutionali3es the media to form a barrier for women. )iven the fact that men have the competitive edge in the selection processes, women are thought of as intruders in the gentlemens club of media. Most of the media establishments in 'igeria are reluctant to employ women to a high profile position as editors. 1ignificantly, women lack the old boys network to empower them into the elite positions. The media play a very important role in contributing to the socio-economic development of countries like 'igeria and in the transmission of societal values and norms. The media tend to ignore the fact that women are also intellectually capable, great decision makers, business-minded individuals capable of contributing immensely to media development. ,erhaps this is why women continue to suffer the indignation of restricting stereotypes only to find their bodies marketed to sell everything from alcohol to cigarettes to cars. Thus, a country like 'igeria embraced western development models with structure of nearly all her institutions, a regrettable reflection of westerni3ation. The media in 'igeria is, for e"ample, not living up to e"pectation, as the establishment

of management is acutely a bias to women. That prompted Erank &gboa#a *4:=8+ to say, 'igerias media ob#ectives were thus from the start based not on the cultural needs and values of 'igeria societies, but on its e"periences and biases of culturally distant colonial e"pertsB the media system was designed to be grafted onto !fricans communities *,.4;+ Men dominated the media then, they still dominate the media today. #omen and Change: The wind of change that blew through /urope and !frica in the 4:=8s brought some much-needed change to the comity of !frican countries as well as other developing countries as they began to look at issues of concern to women and began to act appropriately to combat the disparities in gender development. 1igns of progress for female #ournalists are mitigated by setbacks. Aomen are becoming better organi3ed with professional associations and other bodies to promote women agendas. !lthough, it must be noted that in spite of the fact that women had made head ways in the media establishment and are becoming more and more prominent, they still lag behind in managerial positions. 2n 4:=5, Henya began to recogni3e the contribution of women to development and began to implement policies and programs that will ensure e uitable share of benefits from development, hence eliminate gender biases. The Henyan government increased the number of women in decision-making capacities in both traditional and non-traditional sectors. More and more women are seen in the media establishment writing and reporting the news. Me"ico declared a decade for women and increased the role of women participation in planning and implementation of &' (evelopment and population programs. ,rior to the changes, that swept the world in the 4:=8sB women in 'igeria and other parts of !frica had been seen as a ma#or force in nation building and economic development. The &nited 'ations report that women account for 4-to 7 percent of the senior management positions in the economic sector, and that it will take more than a century of tremendous hard work coupled with serious planning

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for women to be fully integrated in the system *&', 4::5+, is a fair and accurate notation of how much work that is needed to be done to close this reprehensible gap. 2n all women-out number men by a margin of more than 7 to 4 ratio. The &nited 'ations reported that less than one-third of women are in the work force. They are still being paid less than men for e ual work and own less of the worlds wealth. $he Need for Change: The world can no longer sit idly and not lend itself to gender issues, taking into account the role women had played and continue to play in ensuring peace and prosperity at home and abroad, economic prosperity in the work place, as well as peace and harmony in the political front. !s the world progresses in the 74st century, the need for change cannot be more apparent. Moreover, it is now more apparent that gender disparities should be outdated. Ghange and development initiative and efforts be made to decentrali3e the status uo and open the media institution as well as leadership areas to all to create a positive atmosphere of economic and social inclusion. 'igeria must take interest in promoting gender e uality, encourage and facilitate social changes that are fundamental to the mobili3ation of gender e uality and issues of concern to women. Harl (eutsch *4:;9+ defined social mobili3ation as the process in which ma#or cluster of old, social, economic, and psychological commitments are eroded or broken, and people have ac uired new patterns of sociali3ation and behavior. 'igeria needs serious house cleaning and should work toward gender integration and reach out to women from all spheres of life. Thus, as the media industry begins to recogni3e gender reforms and development, effective and successful planning should to be made to have women in strategic and recogni3able positions within the industry. !fter all, the need for a multi-channeled information flow will be the underlying factor created to foster gender mi". 'othing will be accomplished without the participation of women if men continue their status uo. The media industry must attune to the voices of

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dissent, even as new generation of educated, progressive and dedicated women are emerging from all sectors and uickly becoming part of the mainstream. !mong the many reasons often given as an e"cuse to e"clude women from leadership positions in the 'igerian media is the idea that women lack the necessary skills to effectively manage media outlets. Gontrary to that opinion, women are known to e"hibit good management ualities and have not been accorded the right to physically shoulder the responsibilities of managerial skills nonetheless to make decisions. %ne of the most obvious uestions about leadership is also the most elusive. !ccording to Dichard 'i"on *4:=7+ who enumerated the traits of successful leadership, he proclaimed that high intelligence, courage, and hard work, tenacity, #udgment, dedication to a great cause and a certain measure of charm as the key ingredients. *p.494+. 'othing can be more accurate and assertive as prescription for the leadership in the media industry. 'ow is the opportune time to reach out to the disenfranchised women, the grassroots women and increase the number of women in key managerial and decision-making positions. Situational Constraints: 1ome writers and analysts stress the impact of situational constraints, most especially motherhood. The most enduring obstacle for women entering the media industry is responsibility for children at home. The unpredictability of daily schedule of women for their children continues to be an obstacle for their nontraditional participation in the profession. 2n addition to this, men believe that the rigors of reporting the news, the timeliness and immediacy may be too much of an activity to women as it is more conducive for men to travel from place to place without hindrance. Many writers and researchers according to Gantor *4::7+ stress sociali3ation as the main reason for gender ine uality in the media industry. Males grow up in competitive environment. They are taught from early age to be team players. They are accustomed to winning and losing. 1ports prepare men for these structured groups, even with people they do not particularlyB as 2n contrast, Dandall *4:=6+ observed that,

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Aomen are traditionally sociali3ed in small play groups that emphasi3e cooperation rather than competition. The problems confronting women in politics have been attributed chiefly to the tensions between ascribed and achieved status by female sociali3ation. ,. 479+. Aomen have not been able to break through the male-dominated institution in droves because women are still being treated as a second se". Ahile these facts serve as an obstacle to gender e uality, many women themselves continue to think that their place is in the home. !dded to this, 'igerian women are divided between their support and loyalty. 1e"ism is one important factor that inhibits women from gender e uality. 'igerian women are no e"ception. ! large segment of the women population in 'igeria do not feel comfortable when they choose positions that society considers unusual as their assigned se" roles. Many men will feel comfortable as long as a woman is seen as an appendage to men. 2n addition, the 'igerian society denigrates women in power. This is similar to the Fiblical story of (elilah. -ook at all the power (elilah hadB yet her power was considered as very se"ual. To many analysts, it is really not powerB it is plain se"ism. This kind of generali3ation puts down aggressiveness, outspokenness and ambition for women seeking higher and prominent roles in the media. 2t should be noted that the education of women in !frican history is nothing to boast about because it does not serve to empower women. Male bias is one of the many factors that have inhibited women from taking active roles in the media industry. This is reinforced in many instances by colonial policy in !frica, the Garibbean, in the Middle /ast and even in -atin !merica that favored the education of males as opposed to females. This operated to cut off women from occupying managerial posts. The same bias is evident in postcolonial era. *1trattonB 4:=<? =8+ !yesha 2man clearly keynoted this at the Third !nnual Gonference of Aomen in 'igeria. 1he stated that? 'ot only are there more boys than girls in schools, but also there are more school places for boys. *cited in 1tratton+

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1he went on to say that 6; percent of families would rather educate their sons than their daughters, if finances were limited *2bid+ this has generated social pre#udice that limits females from reaching their potentials and for not involving themselves with a war they thought they couldnt win. ,arents in 'igeria contribute significantly to females inability to shatter the ceiling glass syndrome. Most parents believe that educating girls would amount to nothing, since they will eventually get married and leave homeB the boys, on the other hand, will carry on the fathers legacy. !s a result, women do not meet the necessary re uirement for taking their rightful place within media elite. This reluctance to train women during colonial and postcolonial periods delayed women appearances in the educational scene, and has hence affected their economic and political participation. %ther constraint that continues to hamper womens emancipation into the mainstream is the marginali3ation of the ma#ority of women in the rural areas through what can be said to be the process of production and distribution. !ccording to %gbomo *4::9+, this has hampered the mobili3ation of women towards getting invited in political parties. 2t must be noted that today the media industry in 'igeria is viewed by the leaders as the instrument to further their aims of nation building and moderni3ation and for supporting the government in power *Ailliam .atchen, 4:64+ they do not consider women as part of those that will shape the establishment. !nd they have been able to achieve this e"clusion by tightening their control over the industry and in spite of the fact that the media industry is a conglomerate of newspapers, maga3ines and technological development, women still lack the necessary voice to shape the industry. 'igerian women generally lack the financial capability to establish media outlets this constraint places full-fledged ownership in the corridors of men. 2n addition to this self- centered and self-serving pattern of ownership, men dominate the profession. This is evident from the phrase )entlemen of the ,ress, often used to address #ournalists by public figures in 'igeria and thus underlies the assumption that there are no women in the media. The effect of this has been that men dominate

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the whole news media both in numbers and in key positions. Eor e"ample, the 2ndependent 0ournalism Genter in -agos, in a recent survey found that women are underrepresented in all aspects of the media. 2t is estimated that the percentage of women in the media profession is nothing to be proud of. The domination of the news media by men and the predominance of male perspectives in news reporting have created a situation were there is lack of focus on the participation of women in all other areas of influence within 'igeria. )ender issues are not given ade uate coverage in the media and where they are covered, they are perceived from a male point of view. Conclusion: The need for gender e uality today cannot be over emphasi3ed especially in this age of technological advancement. The need has not been more urgent to provide management programs in the media industry to propel women in economic, political and social development in the 74st century. 2t is believed that in#ustices directed at women in the media establishment over the years necessitated the need for change in attitude about sustainable development that will help to alleviate gender disparities. /very agenda, every initiative and every effort should be made to train and educate more women in management and other aspects of the media industry by keeping them abreast of changes in technology. 2n an era when development is the sub#ect of intense government concern, the need to recogni3e that the ultimate impact of moderni3ation policies on women must be determined largely by how much power and influence women have. (evelopment does not happen in a vacuumB it is sub#ect to innumerable political and administrative influences. 2ndividuals have argued the fact that women voices are seldom heard at any level within the media hierarchy. The historical trend of declining female power is not irreversible, as the e"periences of societies in Aestern /urope and 'orth !merica .ave dictated. The e"pansion of political participation offers women the same opportunities it formerly offered property-less or uneducated men.

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Falancing this relatively optimistic scenario is the grim reality of increasing militari3ation of politics throughout 'igeria. !lthough 'igeria is said to have a civilian regimes the regimes are only revised in the sense that the military come back to be chef e"ecutives in civilian clothings. %ver and over, women have pointed out their under-representation in all media institutions including editorial decision making, advertising, the picture is hardly better for the future of womens concerns. !lthough, it is recogni3ed that some women in powerful positions identify themselves with men and not with women, the absence of women in these positions is still unhealthy. The late Margaret Mead argued for a greater internationali3ation of female roles to counteract the increasing dehumani3ation of the world. 2n her book on discrimination against women in the Third Aorld, Farbara Dogers *4:=8+ focused on the dominance of male planners and a male bias in planning, and she notes that women planners do not automatically reverse pree"isting discrimination against women in development pro#ects. 1ince 4:68, a debate has been underway concerning the effects of change in developing nations on the well being of women. 2n the study that marked the turning point in the thinking about women in Third Aorld countries, /ster Foserup *4:68+ argued that single technological changes in farming could entail a radical shift in se" roles in agriculture. The e"clusion of women from e"tra familial activities was not particularly important in the traditional society that was not concerned with progress, but it is an anachronism in a society that professes to wish to change and is actually investing both capital and effort in bringing about change and development. To confine women to the family structure is to keep them at subsistence level at a time when entire sectors of the economy are moving toward a money base. *p.5+ The theoretical #ustification for gender e uality derives from the fact that women continue to contribute enormously into the political, social and economic prosperity of the country at largeB they are yet to be far from se"ual discrimination, #ob discrimination and e"clusion. Thus effective media planning and agenda that recogni3es the potentials of gender e uality ought to be shining armor for all. !lso

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an ade uate flow of information is re uired for knowledge to be shared with those who have more and those who have less on gender issues. 2t is a foregone conclusion that no nation can thrive in an atmosphere of gender ine uality and e"clusion. Therefore, for 'igeria to achieve greatness in this age of information, concerted efforts must be made towards gender e uality and social empowerment for women. /very effort must be made to combat gender disparity, and provide initiatives that will further enhance and bring women to their rightful places within the industry. Aomen understand and can better e"plain issues of concern about women to women and the society at large. !nd according to slain civil right leader, the Dev. Martin -uther Hing, 0r. in his letter from Firmingham city #ail in !labamaB human progress never rolls on the wheels of inevitability. 2t comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of men willing to be co-workers with )od, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. *,.7:;+ .e went on to say that people must use time creatively and forever reali3e that the time is always ripe to do right. 'ow is the time for the media conglomerate in 'igeria to improve on gender e uality. Einally, it will be the ideal and right thing for men to desist from dominating the media industry and give the much needed chance to allow e uitable order in the way business is done so that women too can have a measure of success. The ongoing revolution in global communications coupled with the introduction of new information technologies is a sign of change that is slowly creating the avenue for the 'igerian media to change the course of history and advance the cause of women. There must be an end to the negative pro#ection and degrading images of women. /fforts must be made to grant e ual access to women so that they can partake in the new information technology that will further widen their hori3ons and become contributors to the continue development of the media infrastructure in 'igeria. 2t must be noted here that unless alternative and more challenging views on women should are portrayed in a positive light in the mainstream media if not given

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real access, these problems will continue to be the bone of contention for #ournalistic minded women whom have all the right ualification, but deprived of the profession they strive to be a part of. Henneth Foulding *4:69+ said it an elo uent passage that, the meaning of a message is the change it produces in the image. *p.6+ let us hope that the change will occur in the 'igerian Media.

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%eferences: !chola, ,ala *4:6;+. (efinitions of Aomen and (evelopment? !n !frican ,erspectives in Aellesley /ditorial Gommittee, ed., Aomen and 'ational development. ,p :-49 Foulding, Henneth *4:69+ The 2mage. !nn !rbor? The &niversity of Michigan ,ress. *:th printing+ Foserup, /ster *4:=:+ Aomens Dole in /conomic (evelopment. 'ew $orkB 1t. Martins ,ress. Fuechler, 1teven M. *4::8+ Aomens Movement in the &nited 1tates? Aomen suffrage. / ual Dights and Feyond. Dutgers &niversity ,ress, 'ew Frunswick, 'ew 0ersey. Gantor, (orothy and Tony Fernay *4::7+ Aomen in ,ower. Foston, .oughton Miffin ,ublishers. (eutsch, Harl *4:;9+ The 'erves of )overnment. 'ew $ork? ,ress of )lencoe /3eani, %. *4::=+ )ender and ,olitical ,articipation in 'igeria, 2nternational 0ournal of 1tudies in the .umanities, 'sukka .atchen, A.!. *4:64+ Muffled (rums? The 'ews Media in !frica. !mes, 2owa? The 2owa &niversity ,ress. .olt3man, /. *4:=6+ Aomen in ,olitical Aorld? %bservations (aedalus Col. 44; Mead, Margaret *4:66+. Aomen in 2nternational Aorld. 0ournal of international !ffairs. 98 *fall@Ainter+? 454-4;8 'i"on, Dichard M. *4:=7+ -eaders. Aarner Fooks, 2nc., 'ew $ork, 'ew $ork. %gbomo, %.A. *4::9+ !ssertion and Deaction? ! definitive Ciew of Aomen and ,olitics in 'igeria. 2roro-0!11 *0une, 4? 5:-64 Dogers, Farbara *4:=8+ The (omestication of Aomen? (iscrimination in (eveloping 1ocieties. 'ew $ork? 1t. Martins ,ress. &sluuta, !yseli *7888+, The Aomen of the Media, Gumhuriyet 'ewspaper, *4< May+ 1tratton, Elorence *4::<+ !frican -iterature and the ,olitics of )ender. -ondon and 'ew $ork? Doutledge. 4:

1tuadt, Hathleen *4:=:+ Glass and 1e" in ,olitics of Aomen Earmer. 0ournal of ,olitics, <4?<7=-84 &de3ulu, 2feyinwa /.&. *4:::+ The 1tate and 2ntegration of Aomen in 2bo? ,atriarchy and )ender advancement in the Eemini3ation of (evelopment ,rocesses in !frica? /dited by Calentine &doh 0ames and 0ames, 1. /tim &gboa#a, Erank %. *4:=8+ Gommunication policies in 'igeria. &'/1G%

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