Women’s voices are rarely included in the news

In Tanzania, women as expert sources of information and opinions are still routinely passed over for men, partly because media outlets have no contact lists of women sources, and journalists are not required by their media houses to ensure as a matter of policy, that their stories have women voices.

A 2011 study by Gender Links revealed that a mere 12% of all voices that media captured in 2010, an election year in Tanzania, were women. Yet women constitute more than 50 per cent of the country’s population. As the country approaches 2020 elections, the situation has changed little.

Providing an online source of women experts in Tanzania

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in an effort to support reporters working remotely, Internews in Tanzania has updated its online version of the women source directory originally produced in 2017.

To also address the gap, in its elections training for journalists, Internews stresses the critical importance of including women’s voices.

The directory has been adapted for online sharing and to enable regular updating. It is a useful starting point for journalists, media outlets and other stakeholders keen to seek out more women experts and bring their voice into the public conversation.

Access the women sources directory.

Internews in Tanzania has been training journalists and media house professionals since 2017 to ensure that local communities can access trusted information, which includes and amplifies the voices of marginalized groups, such as women and youth. The project is funded by USAID.

(Banner photo: Trainees in the ZIMMC radio studio in Tanzania. Credit: Internews)