SECTOR 2

2.7 All media fairly represent the voices of both
women and men
By consensus of the panel, Mozambican media do not have gender equity
policies. However, there are programmes in the media that are led by women
as well as pages dedicated to women in some newspapers, although not in a
systematic way.
According to the panellists’ debates in the context of this analysis, what happens
in the media reflects the true nature of Mozambican society. Mozambican society
is patriarchal and the victimisation of women is common.
However, some panellists insisted that when the media prepare debates they
normally think of the intervening persons in relation to their facets or competences
– not in relation to gender. Nevertheless, in the end – given the track record of
gender in the country – women are frequently under-represented. In the absence
of gender-promoting policies in the media, the outlook tends to worsen.

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:
Score of previous years:

✓
✓

✓

✓✓✓✓✓

✓✓
✓

2.4
2005=n/a; 2007=n/a; 2009=1.5; 2011=1.7; 2014=3.6

2.8 All media fairly represent the voices of society
and its minorities in its ethnic, linguistic, religious
diversity
There was consensus that Mozambican media do not fairly reflect the voices
of society with regards to diversity (ethnic, linguistic, religious, political and
social). Such non-representation of diversity would have economic repercussions,
considering the disadvantaged position of most of the country’s citizens.
Panellists also assessed that in particular, political diversity is not reflected in any
way – especially in the public media.
The absence of a law on political response – which might allow the parties
represented in parliament to react to all of the government’s political positions
– makes the picture even worse, at least as far as the political dimension of the

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AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER MOZAMBIQUE 2018

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