Veteran broadcaster, Bimbo Oloyede, has revealed reasons behind the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions within newsrooms.
While acknowledging the strong presence and competence of female journalists across various media platforms, Oloyede noted that traditional mindsets might be hindering their progress.
Speaking on Channels TV on Friday on the occasion of International Women’s Day, Oloyede highlighted the prevalence of male ownership in private media, proposing that increased female ownership could create a more balanced space for leadership.
She said, “Well, it has nothing to do with numbers. I also don’t think it has anything to do with competence because we have seen women who have done very well in the field of journalism whether print, online or broadcast.
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“It might have something to do with tradition. Tradition in the sense that we are in society used to the idea men lead and women follow.
“And so perhaps it might be a bit difficult to get over that particular kind of mindset; but (in terms of) numbers, competence, ability, creativity, we are equal.
“Perhaps the fact too that most private media organizations, the majority are also owned by men, I think if we have more females owning journalistic enterprises perhaps that might give us a little bit more of the space.
“Also the fact that women have a traditional role to play, it might not be expedient for you to report a story or rush to location somewhere when you are eight and half months pregnant.
“So there are opportunities but they are grabbed by men because at certain points in the life of a woman, she is actually not physically if not mentally available to do the job she is expected to do.”
