Isatou Keita, the President of the Gambia Press Union (GPU) has reminded women journalists that the journey has never been simple or linear.
The GPU leader was speaking at an event organized by Women Sports Journalists to mark the International Women’s Day where she highlighted the evolution of women’s roles in the newsroom.
She noted that the progress for women in media has been slow and uneven, sometimes moving forward, sometimes being pushed back.
“Yet women have always been present in journalism: producing, writing, and broadcasting. But as she noted, “presence is not the same as power,” she said, adding” being in the newsroom does not always mean being heard.
For a long time, she pointed out that the newsroom was not built with women in mind, stressing that women often had to work twice as hard to be taken seriously, while major assignments and decision-making roles were mostly given to men.
“In sports journalism especially, the assumption that women do not understand the game created barriers that many female reporters had to challenge persistently,” Isatou told the gathering.
She emphasised that change happens because women continue to challenge these assumptions, support one another, and build the skills and resilience needed to thrive in the profession.
The goal, she said, is not just more women in newsrooms, but better newsrooms and better journalism where women are seen, heard, and given equal opportunities to lead.
