Gender inequalities in and through the media: Comparing gender inequalities in the media across countries

Issues of women’s underrepresentation and invisibility in news content and limited access to managerial and decision-making positions, as well as a gendered division of labour in news covering, have been on the international agenda since the mid 1990s, raising concerns about news media diversity and accessibility. More recently, gender pay gaps, discrimination, and harassment in newsrooms and in the online environment – and the limited extent to which media policies and self-regulatory measures have addressed these issues – have also been highlighted, signalling that basic democratic principles of freedom of expression and participation are at stake if women’s views and concerns are not acknowledged nor structural aspects of gender inequality addressed. Gender equality in and through the media is crucial for democracy. This chapter provides a gender-aware analysis of the democratic performance of leading news media using data from the 2021 Media for Democracy Monitor (MDM). Similarities and differences among the 18 participating countries are highlighted, and several dimensions of inequality are discussed. We call for sustained commitment to overcoming inequalities through gender-responsive research and media practices.