Gender dimensions of communication governance: Perspectives, principles, and practices

Over the past two decades feminist communication scholarship has increasingly focused on macrolevel realities of communication governance, international and national, as well as on meso-level developments of codes and regulatory measures pertaining to media organizations. In light of persisting gender inequalities in the media and IT sector – notwithstanding the multiple initiatives that have been activated over the years worldwide – the relevance of having normative frameworks and policy provisions in place is gradually being recognized as strategic. It is crucial to define principles and goals for the operation of traditional and digital media; and it is necessary to establish mechanisms to assess progress and change in response to longstanding and new forms of gender inequality in the sector. This chapter thus aims to contribute toward the consolidation of gender-responsive communication governance as a vital field of research that bridges the worlds of academy and advocacy.