Media coverage of women in the Arab political sphere

Abstract

This article reports on some of the findings of a large research project conducted by the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women and The Centre of Arab Women for Training and Research entitled Strengthening women's leadership and participation in politics and decision-making processes in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. The aim is to further our understanding of the relationship between the media and women in the political field in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. The findings discuss the way media in the above countries propagate certain images of women who participate in the political field, and how these women react to such images, particularly the images of female politicians. The article concludes with some reflection on the way female politicians can harness the new media technologies to break through social barriers and to gain visibility.

Identity, Social Media and Politics: How Young Emirati Women Make Sense of Female Politicians in the UAE

“…Research in Arab countries, although rare, yielded similar results. Women politicians in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia were underrepresented and covered in the news more negatively than men (Ben Salem 2010).…”

Best and worst practice: a case study of qualitative gender balance in Irish broadcasting

“…As well as examining women's quantitative presence on air, the question of women being selected to participate also involves considering which women were included and whether certain 'favoured' women are selected to participate on air. Ben Salem's (2010) finding that the media shows 'a tendency to profile women in government and government departments by granting them more time and coverage compared to female activists, women in political parties or women who are ordinary citizens' (p. 181) is borne out in the context of the radio cases. On 'The Sunday Show', the dominant participant was the female Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton.…”