SECTOR 2 “What you see in the media is a reflection of the patriarchal society.” Most of the comments sourced by the media are from pro-government sources. There is also a sense that only authoritative sources can speak on issues of concern, thus restraining the diversity of political views. With most senior positions in government being held by men, this further constricts the gender balance in reporting. Women are fairly represented on SBIS, which has specific programmes for men and women. 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: 2.9 (2005: n/a; 2007: n/a; 2009: 3.1; 2011: 3.4) 2.8 All media fairly represent the voices of society and its minorities in its ethnic, linguistic, religious diversity. Although Swaziland is, relatively, ethnically homogenous and the majority of Swazis speak siSwati, all the print publications are in English. Only two radio stations (i.e. SBIS 1 and Voice of the Church) and one television station (Swazi TV) offer programming in siSwati. The voices of society represented in the media tend to be very similar, with little variety or representation of minority voices in Swaziland. Minorities, such as people with disabilities or homosexuals, are simply ignored by the public and the commercial media. This can be attributed directly to how these groups are treated in Swazi society. Most of the public buildings in Swaziland, for example, are not accessible by people with disabilities. “The disabled just don’t exist in Swaziland. Culturally, disabilities are taboo. They didn’t even get to participate in drawing up the country’s Disability Policy.” Similarly, same-sex relationships are not reported on in the media, as social and political dissent is forbidden in Swazi culture. Legally, the Swazi Constitution 38 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER Swaziland 2014