Women media leaders commit to gender equality

AMMAN — On International Women’s Day, prominent Jordanian women in media are joining forces with global leaders for gender equality in media leadership.

As part of the WAN-IFRA Women in News (WIN) initiative, they have committed to tangible actions to close the gender gap in leadership roles, aligning with this year’s theme, #AccelerateAction, according to a WAN-IFRA statement shared with The Jordan Times.

Launched alongside the 2024 Women in Media Leadership Mapping Report, the initiative seeks to address enduring inequalities by dismantling barriers, fostering inclusive workplaces and driving meaningful change.

While progress has been made, women still occupy just 24 per cent of editorial and management leadership positions, a modest increase from 21 per cent in 2022.

Signatories of the pledge have committed to integrating mentorship programmes within their organisations, based on best practices, and challenging stereotypes and biases in media representation.

The pledge follows a historic summit in Malawi, where women leaders from Africa, the Arab region, and Southeast Asia committed to systemic change in newsrooms.

"Fifteen years ago, a network like WIN wouldn’t have been possible because there weren’t enough women in media leadership," said Executive Director of WAN-IFRA WIN Melanie Walker, adding "Now, we have the collective power to accelerate change."

With the active participation of Jordanian women media leaders, the pledge marks a critical step toward achieving equal opportunities, stronger representation, and lasting transformation in the media industry.