CAIRO: A report published by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said that female Egyptian journalists continue to suffer from discrimination against their access to positions of leadership. It said that women accounted for only 34 percent of the general assembly of the Egyptian Press Syndicate, in the annual report for March. The report, titled “Female Journalists: Partners in press unions leaders,†stated that only 2,400 women are members of the press syndicate out of a total 7,000 members and that the percentage of representation in the Syndicate’s Council drops to only 7.7 percent, or 13 members. IFJ stated that female journalists “are always subjected and led by bosses†and “do not have access to leadership positions compared to the field of television and audio-related media, especially radio.†The report, which includes the countries of Egypt, Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, UAE and Yemen, noted that female journalists receive only 10 percent of the assumed positions of leadership “compared to the control of women of about 50 percent of the programs in the field of audio-visual media.†The report confirmed that women still face difficulties in advancing within the field of media work, “especially the press, as compared to their male colleagues, despite the fact that the financial difference between their salaries is modest.†It continued to note that women have “difficulty in attending media institutions as its officials see that men are better suited to working in the press field.†The report considered that men are in control of “media content,†especially with regard to programs and political news in Egypt, citing the example that, “although the satellite channels employ independent programs and offer distinct programs where women lead the discussions on women's rights and women's issues, the content of these programs confirms the subordination of women to male dominance.†BM
