By Dawda Baldeh
In its message commemorating International Women’s Day, the Women Journalists Association of The Gambia (WoJAG) has reinforced its advocacy for better working conditions for women journalists.
This year’s International Women’s Day (IWD 2025) carries the theme “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”
WoJAG emphasizes the importance of addressing and advocating against the detrimental working conditions that persist in the Gambian media.
The organization noted that women journalists are vital to the advancement of the Gambian media, serving as presenters, reporters, editors, technicians, managers, and media owners.
Despite their significant contributions, WoJAG contends that women still face heightened gender inequality in decision-making representation, lower salaries, and sexual harassment, among other issues.
“WoJAG acknowledges that in recent years, the majority of enrollments and graduates from the University of The Gambia School of Journalism and Digital Media and the GPU training school (MAJaC) have been young women and girls.
“This has led to an unprecedented increase in the number of women obtaining Diplomas, Advanced Diplomas, and Degrees in journalism,” WoJAG’s statement reads.
The statement continued: “Despite these achievements, which indicate that women journalists possess the necessary knowledge and skills, editorial boards and decision-making roles in newsrooms are predominantly occupied by men, leaving women with limited positions.”
Banna Sabally, the Secretary General of WoJAG, describes the pursuit of improved working conditions for women as an ongoing process, stating, “Achieving an equitable and non-exploitative media environment for women will not be an easy endeavor.”
“It is a continuous effort that requires a collective commitment from everyone, including women, to dismantle existing barriers and create an atmosphere of equal opportunities and favorable working conditions for women in media,” she added.
In 2020, the Gambia Press Union released two studies, one focusing on Sexual Harassment and the other on the Working Conditions of Media Workers in The Gambia.
Both studies concluded that women face disadvantages in newsrooms due to the ongoing prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence in the industry.
“This discrimination, as highlighted in the Working Conditions of Media Workers study, arises from significant disparities when comparing the conditions for men and women at all levels, particularly regarding pay, positions held, and treatment,” WoJAG stated.
“Equality is not a privilege; it is a right,” said Annette Camara, President of WoJAG.
“Women in the media are shaping nations, leading industries, and making history, yet we continue to advocate for equal pay and improved working conditions.
“But we will not relent until opportunities and compensation are equitable, and until every girl understands that she is unstoppable,” she concluded.
Under the campaign theme ‘Accelerate Action,’ WoJAG is dedicated to engaging various stakeholders in media institutions to ensure swift progress towards gender equality in the Gambian media sector.
“We believe this will lead to accelerated efforts in eliminating the unfavorable working conditions faced by women journalists in newsrooms.”
Additionally, WoJAG urges all media employers to reaffirm their commitment to achieving gender equality by:
Below are the recommendations made by WoJAG:
Adhering to local and international labor standards by ensuring that women journalists are hired with written employment contracts, receive adequate pay, and have all benefits due to them, including health care, further education/training, and social security.
Closing the existing gender gap in newsrooms by appointing more women to editorial boards and decision-making roles in newsrooms and other key management positions within media organizations; and
Implementing the GPU Sexual Harassment Policy as a framework to ensure a safe and supportive work environment for women journalists and all female media workers.
