Women call for equal media coverage in Politics

8 October 2025, 12:20 pm

By Byamukama Alozious

Women leaders and civil society organisations have renewed calls for equal media coverage and fair representation of women in Uganda’s political landscape, saying the media continues to favour male politicians.

The call came during a one-day conference on Media and Elections ahead of the 2026 General Elections, organised by the Uganda Media Women’s Association (UMWA) in Kampala. The meeting brought together journalists, politicians, civil society actors, and gender advocates to discuss how the media can promote inclusive political participation.

According to Charity Ahimbisibwe, a governance and elections expert, media coverage of female candidates remains disproportionately low, with men occupying nearly 80% of political media space.

“Why do we have so few women in politics? How did the media report on the female presidential candidates who picked nomination forms?” she asked. “Perhaps the media is partly responsible for the poor performance of women due to gender-biased reporting and online harassment. We need depth and sensitive journalism for women in politics and society as a whole.”

For over 25 years, Ugandan women have fielded presidential candidates, yet their journeys have been riddled with challenges, from limited media coverage to gender bias and online harassment. Despite growing political awareness, none of the presidential candidates nominated for the 2026 elections is a woman. Even at the local government level, women’s representation remains alarmingly low, with only three women currently serving as district chairpersons across the country.

Hon. Joyce Bagala, Woman MP for Mityana District, criticised the media for reinforcing stereotypes that undermine women’s competence.

“The media diminishes female voices. They look for competence in men, but for women, the focus is on sexism, relationships, and family,” she said. “Why do you concentrate on a woman’s looks or hair instead of her policies? Media, please give women adequate time and space. Don’t exclude us because of our gender or appearance — we deserve equal coverage and respect.”

Bagala further noted that even within political parties, women’s voices are often overshadowed.

“In most political parties, women wait for men to speak first, and when a woman speaks, she is attacked both inside Parliament and outside,” she added.

Hajjat Nalule Jjuko, Chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission, urged UMWA and civil society groups to collaborate with the Commission in producing its next Annual Report, recommending the inclusion of a dedicated chapter on women in politics and media representation.

In her submission, Jean Eyotaru, a communications specialist, emphasised the need for inclusive representation and reporting of women with disabilities (PWDs) in the upcoming elections.

“Let’s ensure that women and Persons with Disabilities are well represented and positively reported on as we head into the elections,” she said.

Throughout the conference, participants highlighted that the way media stories are written about women often shapes society’s perception of their capability to lead. They urged journalists to move beyond event-based reporting and adopt gender-sensitive storytelling that showcases women’s policy ideas, achievements, and leadership potential.