Press Statement, Fajara, 8th March, 2025
The Women Journalists Association of The Gambia- Wo]AG joins the rest of the world to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD 2025) under the theme
“For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment”.
While this year’s theme calls for action to unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all, WoJAG believes it is important to highlight and call for action on the harmful working conditions that still persist in The Gambian media.
Women journalists play a fundamental role in the development of the Gambian media, working as presenters, reporters, editors, technicians, managers and media proprietors.
Despite doing remarkably well, they continue to be confronted with an increased gender inequality in representation in decision making, low wages, and sexual harassment amongst others.
WolAG recognizes that in recent years, most enrollments and graduates at the University of the Gambia School of Journalism and Digital Media and the GPU training school (MAJaC) are Young women and girls. This has resulted into an unprecedented growth in the number of women who have acquired Diplomas, Advanced Diplomas and Degrees in journalism.
Regardless of these accomplishments, which shows that there isn’t a lack of knowledge and skills among women journalists, editorial boards and decision-making positions in newsrooms are mainly dominated by men while women are left to occupy small roles in the
newsrooms.
Banna Sabally, The Secretary General of WoJAG describes the efforts to ensure a good working condition for women a continuous process, “Gaining an equitable and non-exploitative media space for women would not be an easy task,
” Banna said. “It is an ongoing
endeavor that would require a collective effort from everyone; women included, to remove barriers that exist and foster an environment of equal opportunities and favorable working conditions for women in Media ” she added.
In 2020, the Gambia Press Union published two studies, one on Sexual Harassment and another on the Working Conditions of Media Workers in The Gambia. Both studies conclude that women are at a disadvantaged position in newsrooms due to the prevalence of the sexual and gender based violence that continue to persist in the space.