Gifty Anti
Celebrated Ghanaian broadcaster, Gifty Anti has said despite her long and distinguished journey in the media space, she continues to face gender bias and discrimination as a media personality.
She made this known when she expressed her concerns about the treatment of female journalists within the newsrooms, highlighting the enduring challenges and biases that women continue to face in the field of journalism.
Speaking at the launch of the “Equal Voices” project, a collaborative effort between Canal France Media and the Media Foundation for West Africa aimed at combating gender inequalities and stereotypes against women in the media, Gifty Anti passionately shared her perspective on the matter.
“I have been abused for 26years, and I’m still going through it, but I won’t stop. The problems I faced in my early days are still going on because the bias against women in the newsrooms hasn’t stopped,” she lamented.
Gifty Anti, who left the newsroom approximately 19years ago, expressed her dismay at the persistent gender bias within the industry, recounting an incident involving a young journalist who came to her office in tears. The journalist had been denied an opportunity to interview a world leader by her media organization solely because of her gender.
“And the excuse they gave was they can’t guarantee her safety…Female journalists are still being told that they can’t cover certain assignments because they are for men,” Gifty Anti emphasized during her address.
Her comments shed light on the challenges and barriers that female journalists continue to face, including limitations on the stories they are assigned and concerns about their safety when covering certain assignments.
The “Equal Voices” project, jointly implemented by Canal France Media and the Media Foundation for West Africa, is a significant step towards addressing these inequalities and stereotypes against women in the media, particularly in West African countries.
The initiative seeks to create a more inclusive and equitable media landscape where women journalists can work without fear of discrimination, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.