Women, Media and Gender Equality

Media and its development have accompanied an increase in the magnitude and complexity of societal actions and engagements, rapid social change, technological innovation and decline of some traditional forms of control and authority. There is a close association between representation in media and social change, although the degree and direction of this association is still debatable. Many of the consequences, either detrimental or beneficial, which have been attributed to the media, are almost undoubtedly due to other tendencies within which our society operates. Media is a major factor in the construction and circulation of social understanding and social imagery both in traditional and modern societies. It is therefore argued that media can be used as “an instrument”, a powerful and flexible one, for influencing people into certain modes of belief and understanding within society. An analysis of gender dimension existing in the society, however, suggests that media fails to play its role effectively. The present article looks into this and deliberates what should be the role of media in bringing about a just and equal society.