The third Glass Ceilings survey of South African media which will be launched on 19 October - national press freedom day - 2018 shows there have been dramatic shifts in the race and gender composition of media since the first study twelve years ago.
But black women are still not fairly represented in media decision-making; the pay gap is widening, especially in the age of digitisation; and the old boys' network is alive and well. In the #MeToo and #TotalShutDown era, the conversation is moving beyond numbers, to the underlying patriarchal norms that fuel sexist attitudes, harassment and its newest ugly form - cyber misogyny.
With the 25th anniversary of democracy fast approaching, the key message in the report is that #TimesUp for the South African media and #TimeisNow to walk the talk of gender equality!
Key findings from the research show
-Gender parity is a reality in the overall compo-sition of South African media houses:At 49% there are equal proportions of women and men in South African media houses compared to the SADC region which recorded 41% women in the media in 2015.
-There is increase but still no parity at management level: Between 2009 and 2018, there has been an increase in women in senior management from 35% to 46% and in top management from 25% to 36%.
-Sexual harassment is a daily reality for women in the media, but is not prioritised
-Cyber misogyny is a growing threat
