SECTOR 4 4.4. Equal opportunities, regardless of race, social group, gender/sex, religion, disabilities and age are promoted in media houses. The panel discussions on the question of equal opportunities focused mainly on gender equality where a steady improvement was noted. The most prominent example of this positive development is, without doubt, the appointment of Claudine Akakpo as the director of ATOP (the Togolese news agency). One of the panelists recognised that media houses are clearly making an effort in this regard. However, he wondered whether women were really willing to take over leadership positions in newsrooms and editorial departments. In his view, female media practitioners do not always have enough self-confidence. Added to this, he said, are the professional, social and cultural constraints that serve to impede their ascent in the hierarchy of media organisations. Out in the field, however, there are more and more women gathering information and reporting on events. One panelist suggested this might be related to the fact that women often find it easier to get access to sources of information. Specialisation according to gender, particularly when it comes to the coverage of culinary, beauty or general lifestyle issues, is not really practised any more. More generally speaking, one of the panelists believes there is no real discrimination, citing for example the case of a blind person who has launched a community radio. Another participant, though, referred to what he called “a malaise” regarding appointments with political or even ethnic overtones in the state media. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 126 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER TOGO 2010 2.8