Intissar Rachdi (left). Foto Lídia Vilalta
“The Image of Women in the Moroccan Media in the Run-up to and During Local and Regional Elections 2015” – is a study prepared by the Media Diversity Institute (MDI). It proves how machismo prevails in media content even in articles and journalistic pieces prepared and produced by female journalists.
“The Image of Women in the Moroccan Media in the Run-up to and During Local and Regional Elections 2015” – is a study prepared by the Media Diversity Institute (MDI) contributing to a better understanding of women representation in both media and politics.
As a part of public opinion shaping, media remain an essential platform for women to express and convey their political voices and to raise awareness about public affairs management from their gender standpoint.
The MDI study presents a realistic and objective report and analysis of the image of women in the media during the 2015 local and regional elections in Morocco. The study offers a number of measurable parameters and practical recommendations to improve the media treatment and representation of women’s issues.
‘Machismo’ prevails in media content
The study proves how machismo prevails in media content even in articles and journalistic pieces prepared and produced by female journalists. It also highlights that during electoral campaigns political actors and leaders in Morocco used positive political marketing to focus on their achievements regarding women, rather than to debate women’s issues.
Some of recommendations for better representation of women in the Moroccan media published in the study are:
To raise the number of women journalists and to give them more high-ranking and editorial positions in media outlets;
To stop limiting women’s representation to family, marital status and children’s issues
To raise awareness of political parties and civil society activists that women are used as a tool in political marketing and encourage them to make sure that women are main beneficiaries of such practice;
To train journalists on how to report on women and women’s issues during elections;
To give more space and media time to women as contributors, experts, political and civil society actors.
Intissar Rachdi, is the Morocco Country Director at Media Diversity Institute (MDI). Political sociology researcher affiliated to the Moroccan Center for Social Sciences (CM2S) and preparing a PhD on Media and Diversity in Morocco
