Belittling stereotypes that hinder advancement, problems to combine work and family life, gender biased distribution of beats and a general feminization of the industry, (with declining wages and significant male drop out), are some of the challenges facing female journalists in Belarus who want to make themselves a career in the media industry.

Unique research conducted by Fojo and its partners in Belarus show how gender bias is built into the power structures of media organisations and how women are the ones losing out. The research was carried out on a national basis in 2016 and consisted of in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and an on-line questionnaire, total- ling more than 120 respondents.

Women are well represented in the Belarusian media industry, with an estimated 70 per cent of the journalist corps. On the other hand, men are overrepresented, when it comes to managerial positions in the media, especially on higher levels.1 The Belarusian study shows that the reasons for this imbalance are plenty fold, however contempt for and prejudice against women or girls (misogyny) ingrained in the society seems to be at core. Respondents shared ideas such as: “a woman can’t be a competent leader/manager” (women are “hysterics”), “women might be talented journalists but are not for leadership” etc.

Interestingly enough, in response to the question whether gender discrimination prevail in the media business, most respondents – both men and women – decline. The fact that men to a certain extent have higher salaries seem to depend on level of seniority (management positions), but might also be partly topic bound. Women are more likely to cover “soft” issues, such as culture and health care, whereas men more often report on business and economics, areas of coverage that are traditionally better paid.

Another important area of concern is the image of women in the media. The research shows there is a tendency to depict women focusing on outer appearance and not on professional achievements. Also, female journalists contribute to preserving these stereotypes, by letting conservative ideas about social roles of women and men be reflected in media content. However, a new generation of Belarusian media profes- sionals challenging traditional gender norms is emerging, especially in on-line and social media.

In summary, there is still a long way to go for Belarusian media to become gender aware and fulfil their democratic obligation to feature multiple voices, representing different needs and interests. In order to motivate change processes in the local media industries, much more research needs to be done to get a fuller picture. Referring to international data and experience is not enough, only when there is reliable local data to relate to awareness will be raised and change will (hopefully) come about.

Agneta Söderberg Jacobson,

Gender Advisor, Fojo Media Institute