RAW DEAL FOR WOMEN IN SWAZI MEDIA

There are significantly fewer women in media in Swaziland than men, a new report reveals.

A ‘glass ceiling’ exists that stops women from progressing in media houses and patriarchal attitudes dictate the pace of progress in the media industry.

Swazi women face invisible barriers in most departments, although they predominate in advertising and marketing, at which they excel, and in supportive roles such as finance and administration.

Also, the gender division of labour is still alive in the allocation of news beats in Swaziland media houses. The top three beats covered by women are Science & technology, Youth, Lifestyle. For men they are Sports, Sustainable development & environment, Disaster/War/Conflict.

These are the main conclusions of a report, Glass Ceilings: Women and Men in Southern Africa Media, published by Gender Links in partnership with the Gender and Media Southern African (GEMSA) Network in Swaziland.

One of the key findings of this study is that media houses are inconsistent in their commitment to gender equality. And there are no comprehensive, systematic policies and practices to narrow the gender gap, with quotas frowned upon by male and female media practitioners alike. None of the media houses indicated that they had a sexual harassment or gender policy, and only one stated that they needed a gender policy.

Other findings are that women fill fewer senior management positions (29 percent) than men; men get better work deals: 59 percent are far more likely than women (41 percent) to be employed in open-ended, full-time contracts.

Many of the respondents in the study believe family commitments, work being too dangerous, and a lack of role models are the primary reasons why women do not enter or stay in the media industry.

Many respondents blamed the patriarchal society and cultural norms that do not see women in certain professions, much less as decision-makers in those professions.

One male told the study, ‘Women are not taken seriously in most cases, considering the Swazi culture that a man is “head of a woman”. That’s what makes women less considered for higher positions.’

And another male agreed, ‘Women and men are not treated equally. Women are still considered as minors, even at the workplace. This is a norm with our culture, thus no matter how competent they may be, they are made to be subordinate.’

Unfortunately, these views are nothing new in Swaziland. As I reported in November 2007, research among Swazi media houses showed that some male journalists found it difficult to accept women as colleagues. One told a researcher, ‘Women make lousy journalists because they are incompetent and easily intimidated.’

In the latest report Gender Links / GEMSA say there is a need for awareness-raising in media houses. Media houses also need to ensure they have functioning sexual harassment policies and that training programmes are in place to manage mainstreaming gender at the workplace and in editorial content.

To read the full report click here.

SWAZI PM LIES ON MEDIA FREEDOM

When Barnabas Dlamini, Swaziland’s illegally-appointed Prime Minister, told journalists they had nothing to fear from him he was not telling the truth.

Dlamini, was previously PM in 1997 to 2003 and during that time he was famed for his disregard for the rule of law and his attack on freedom of speech.

Dlamini attacked the media and two publications were closed down for reporting things he did not like.

This week comes news that the Swazi Government intends to press forward with plans for state-imposed regulation of the media in Swaziland. This could mean that the government would be able to decide whether journalists are doing their jobs properly. It could lead to sanctions against media houses which violate the government’s rules. There are even suggestions that journalists would have to be registered by the government: put simply that means that the government decides who can and who cannot work as a journalist.

At present in Swaziland most of the media is state controlled. Workers, including journalists, at Swazi TV and SBIS radio are civil servants. The only other radio station Voice of the Church is a Christian station and doesn’t deal with news and current affairs. The only ‘independent’ television station, Channel S, is owned by a former ‘praise singer’ of King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch. Channel S is not seen as being independent from the state.

There are two newspaper groups, the Swazi Observer is in effect owned by King Mswati and the Times of Swaziland is the only independent media house in Swaziland, but when the going gets tough it bends to the will of King Mswati.

Last week Dlamini told his regular monthly editors’ forum that plans for statutory regulation through a Media Complaints Commission were underway.

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Swaziland said in a statement it was opposed to government regulation. ‘We’re totally against government’s pronouncement on the issue of Media Complaints Commission (MCC),’ said Comfort Mabuza, MISA Swaziland National Director.

MISA believes the media should be allowed to regulate itself.

WORKER DAY ACTIVITIES IN SWAZILAND

The following is a statement released by the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) regarding Worker Day activities in Swaziland. PUDEMO is banned in Swaziland and was also named as a ‘terrorist organisation’ by Barnabas Dlamini, the illegally-appointed Swazi Prime Minister. Members and supporters of PUDEMO face up to 25 years in jail under Swaziland’s Suppression of Terrorism Act.

Readers might also like to know that photographs of Worker Day activities in Swaziland appear on the s1kamd blog here.

STATEMENT ON WORKERS DAY – 4 May 2009

The 1 May 2009 will be remembered as a very significant turning point in the history of the trade union movement is Swaziland. This is because of the fact that we witnessed the workers from the three worker groupings in the country namely the SFL, SFTU and SNAT; and the Swaziland United Democratic Front celebrating the day together for the second consecutive year running. This clearly gives hope that PUDEMO’s call for “one industry one federation” shall soon be realized. The message from all the speakers on the day was very clear and it touched on the following demands:

• A living wage, non-taxation of benefits and full recognition of workers rights.
• Constitutional multi-party democracy.
• The release of PUDEMO President Mario Masuku.
• The return of all exiles.
• The scrapping of the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008.

The Deputy President of PUDEMO Sikhumbuzo Phakathi and the President of PUDEMO Youth League Wandile Dludlu made powerful and eloquent addresses to the thousands of workers who clearly embraced PUDEMO as their political organization despite the so called ‘ban’ by the royal regime in Swaziland.

Of course their addresses and presence were never reported in the local media. Instead the media reported mostly on the entertainment that was provided on the day. This clearly shows that our media greatly lacks independence.

We are reliably informed that these days the state is really tightening the screws on the media and has been infuriated by the recent reports on the E/R 25m spent on cars during the King’s birthday. The forced ‘apologies’ we see in the local newspapers is not a coincidence, but is a result of the threats and pressure visited on the media by the state over this particular issue. And so the media personnel are protecting their jobs. Reporting on PUDEMO has come with horrible threats from the state directed to the personnel in the media sector.

Although the event was successful, we note that the organizers had to go through difficult challenges deliberately imposed by the state. Firstly we note that workers were denied the use of both the Trade Fair Ground and the Mavuso Sports Ground that was opened by the King during his recent birthday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in collaboration with the notorious Manzini City Council/Municipality deliberately denied the workers the right to use these facilities that were constructed by through their hard earned taxes.

Secondly, the state through its security agents attempted to interfere with the programme by instructing the organizers to remove from the day’s programme. However, the labour leadership remained resolute and refused to comply with the order. The ‘high ranking’ police officers left with their tails between their legs with embarrassment in front of the multitudes of workers!

As PUDEMO, we congratulate the unity and resoluteness displayed by the workers of Swaziland in their quest for both political and economic liberation from the clutches of the corrupt and repressive royal regime. There is strength in unity. AMANDLA!!