The Media4Women Campaign
There is still great inequality between women and men in the media worldwide. Every year around 8 March (International Women's Day), Free Press Unlimited and partners launch the Media4Women (M4W) campaign. The global campaign highlights the importance of gender equality in and through the media. Each year, the campaign has a different theme.
Why Media4Women?
Worldwide, gender inequality is perpetuated by the under-representation and misrepresentation of women in the media. Women are far less visible on television, radio, online and in newspapers than men, with fewer of their stories told. As soon as journalists are looking for an expert opinion, women literally drop out of the picture. This is supported by statistics that show that only 25 percent of people featured in newspapers, television and radio news are women, and 24% of experts interviewed are female.
Together with our partners, Free Press Unlimited stands up for a more inclusive and equal portrayal of women in the media by launching the Media4Women each year. 2022 marks the sixth year of the international campaign, which has now grown to include more than 50 partner organisations and through their networks reaches an audience in over 100 countries. During the two weeks of the campaign, activists and practitioners around the world are organising public discussions, marches, media monitoring, social media campaigns, competitions, special media programming and other initiatives to stand up for women in the media.
Gender Equality Champions
Gender Equality Champions are a part of Free Press Unlimited’s Media4Women campaign since 2020. The Champions are those who are already working towards an equal representation of women by the media.
There are a lot of good initiatives when it comes to achieving gender equality in and throughout the media. The Gender Equality Champions highlight the positive change and results that are already happening. They show us that everyone can have an impact and contribute to change. During the campaign we publish their stories to inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
Read the stories of the Gender Equality Champions of previous campaigns.
Previous campaigns
In 2020, the campaign was focused on challenging gender stereotypes. In 2021, it was gender monitoring by the media. In 2022, the focus of the campaign was safety for women in the media. This year, 2023, we continue with the issue of safety, but zoom in on the impact of online violence against women journalists.
