SECTOR 4 4.8 Equal opportunities regardless of race or ethnicity, social group, gender/sex, religion, disabilities and age are promoted in media houses On the whole, panellists felt that equal opportunities do exist, but are not necessarily promoted in media houses; most media houses lack policies around the diversification of their organisations. eSwatini’s media landscape remains male dominated – particularly as one moves up the ladder into positions of leadership. That said, there have been some improvements in the representation of women in media houses, with more women taking on editorial roles. It is not clear how many media houses have gender policies within their organisations. Gender Links has engaged various media houses on creating such policies. When it comes to equal opportunities regarding disabilities, it appears that most media houses do not have a stated policy and that they discriminate against the disabled, as was experienced by a member of the panel. Furthermore, for those with physical disabilities, access is a major issue, with most media houses not providing for wheelchair access and other facilities. With regards to ethnicity, eSwatini is rather homogenous and does not have a very diverse population. Panellists noted that ethnic discrimination does not take place in cases where non-Swazi people are applying for employment at a media house. One panellist noted that ‘some of the minority people are in higher, better-paid professions and are not necessarily in journalism, which is seen as a lower profession. So, there is no discrimination partly because minorities are not applying’. With regards to religion, over 90% of emaSwati identify as Christian. Panellists doubted that religious discrimination would occur, although they conceded the possibility of it happening in cases where religious dress had to be observed. ‘Rastafarians or Sikhs, for example, would not be able to wear a turban in a newsroom.’ Panellists stated that they were unaware of any cases where discrimination based on sexual orientation had occurred in a media house. And on the topic of age, several panellists noted with concern the juniorisation of newsrooms, which they believe compromises the quality of reporting. That said, a panellist pointed out that ‘this doesn’t have to do with the older generation being pushed out, but more-so with replacing those that are leaving, considering the fast-revolving door in this profession’. 57 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ESWATINI 2018