Role of women in Arab media spurs debate at international conference

2009-08-20

The role of women in the Arab media was a hot topic for debate at a conference on Sunday during the 31st International Cultural Festival of Asilah in Morocco.

By Siham Ali for Magharebia in Rabat – 20/08/09

[Siham Ali] Journalists at the Asilah International Cultural Festival in Morocco analyse obstacles faced by women in the Arab media.

Arab journalists, media experts and government officials debated the role of women in the Arab media on Sunday (August 16th) at the 31st International Cultural Festival of Asilah.

"Women's presence in the media is growing," said the director of Syrian Television, Diana Jabbour. "This does not mean that they [women] have ceased to be marginalised." Jabbour emphasised that it is time to change the situation and correct the mistaken perception that women have made significant inroads in the media.

Conference participants noted that there are two angles to consider: that of how media depicts women, and how women in the media are treated. They agreed that the media's approach towards women has improved, since they are no longer regarded as mere objects. However, few women deal with serious political issues either in the print or digital media.

"Serious news broadcasts are still the preserve of men," Jabbour said. "The majority of guests on political and business programs in the Arab media are men."

Algerian journalist Mounia Al Banna agreed that men dominate the media scene. "When I speak to colleagues, I find that this issue weighs heavily on their hearts. They have a challenge to overcome."

Talal Touema, the editor-in-chief of women's magazine Zahrat Al Khalij, said the situation varies from country to country, and generalisations must be avoided. He did acknowledge that Arab women "have a lesser presence in decision-making posts in the Arab media due to the burden of their social responsibilities".

"The existence of a few women who have shone in the Arab media does not prove that the marginalisation of women is a thing of the past," said Moroccan journalist Khadija Sabil. She said that the image of women in the media reflects their position in society.

Another concern put forward by women journalists is the emphasis on beauty and not on ability.

Jaouhara Kihel, an Algerian journalist who works for Medi 1 Sat, said there is still a close relationship between women's beauty and youth and their presence in the media, despite the fact that "wrinkles are synonymous with experience and maturity. We see that as soon as women begin to experience the impact of ageing, they vanish from our screens."

"Arab media continue to use women's bodies as an essential element of broadcasts and advertising, even though the situation varies from country to country in terms of the degree of openness and the freedoms given to women in each society," said sociologist Samira Kassimi.

"In our Arab countries, women have not yet fully achieved the position they aspire to," Kassimi said. "It could be that the media are a representation of society. It is the degree of freedom that determines the number and quality of women in the media."

Not everyone agrees with this assessment. Moroccan journalist Samira Zghider is less pessimistic and said that "the situation of Arab women in the media has changed", citing what she sees as a shift in focus from beauty to ability. "This has made them men's equal," she declared, adding only that women's place in society "sometimes prevents them from demonstrating their talents".

Egyptian media expert Zina Charaf Eddine expressed optimism, and said that Arab women have overcome the challenges they faced and made their mark in the Arab media.

"The role of Arab women in the development of the media is vital," said Khalid Naciri, Moroccan Minister of Communications. "The growing presence of women in the Arab media demonstrates the advances being made by Arab societies."