One of the greatest challenges confronting the womenfolk in contemporary Nigeria is gender insensitivity.
Indeed, lack of gender sensitivity especially in the media, which is as a result of the failure to eliminate the gender-based stereotyping that can be found in all sector of media organisation sadly enough, had deleterious impact on Nigerian women.
Today in our society, women are seen as those born with a dish spoon and so must be managing director in the kitchen after obtaining good certificates in their various field of study.
Also, the media in most countries do not have a balanced view of women’s lives and their positive contribution to nation-building.
The media of our clime today tend to be more concentrated on programmes that harp on negativity of women. This affects the images of women and their participating in the society.
Also in the advertising sector, women are mostly portrayed as consumers. This has made the society to see women as those whose major aim of creations is to eat and be satisfied without any form of struggle to be a support to the family where they belong and their society.
Even the young girls are tagged inappropriately because of the negative way the society view women. They are not being given the right due them because they are seen as weaker vessels that must be treated as such. Most parents do not consider the girl child as a great benefit but sees them as a waste of resources and large consumers.
The media should use the women to portray good images; they should enlighten the society on the importance of developing women skills derived by a woman and not to misinform the society by laying a negative view of women.
According to women, they believe in the biblical quotation, “whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favour from God.”
We are the key to success of every society; therefore we should also be allowed to participate fully in every sector of life, be it political or otherwise. God has spoken that we are great helpers and not consumers, so we must be given our right in the society.
Women should be empowered by enhancing their knowledge and access to information technology. This will strengthen their ability to beat against negative portrayal of women and to challenge instance of abuse of the power of an increasingly important industry. Self regulation mechanisms for the media need to be created and strengthened and approaches developed to eliminate gender-based programming. In developing countries, most women are not able to access effectively the expanding electronic information highways and therefore cannot establish networks that will provide them with alternative sources of information.
Women therefore should be involved in decision making, regarding to development of technologies, political/decision making bodies, in order to participate fully in the growth of our society.
In addressing this issue, the government and other actors should promote an active and visible policy of mainstreaming a gender perspective in policies and programmes to enhance the growth of our society.
Popular media focuses much more heavily on a whole host of negative or limiting aspect of women including the intense scrutiny and emphasis on their looks. The mass media such as the Television film and advertising use women to increase the appeal of media product to the detriment of, or without regard to the interest of the women portrayed or women in general. In film women are seen as “the bearer of meaning not  makers of meaning.” Their role are simultaneously looked at and displayed with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact.
Women are over-represented among news casters and television stars conveying the impression that blonde hair is more beautiful or desirable – this has created a negative view of women.
Our youths are used in the modeling sector as a means of income generation. This has made the society to tag them as “prostitutes.”
Even in or political sector, women are not being given the opportunity to rule even when they are qualified for the position. They are seen as those that will ruin a nation instead of building the nation.
The persistent degrading of women in the media and our political sector must stop. The society should view women from the positive angle.
Women should be given the opportunity to participate fully in government, so as to foster the growth of our society.
They are homemakers and not destroyers, nation builders and not ruiners. Gender equality should be adhered to. We are all created in one image and therefore should be treated equally.
The government should pay attention to the women in the society so that political imbalance will be corrected.
The media also should not use women most especially the young girls for profit-making but should be used to impact positive information in the minds of people of the society.
Also, the advertisement sector should not concentrate on the exposure of women body part as a center of attraction and attention, but should look at the inward quality of a woman.
Moreso, the women should also be respected in every area of life. Equal privileges should be given to them. They should be allowed to air their views and partake in the various activities that occur in the society.
They should not be disregarded but should be seen as people with high esteem and as such should also be honoured.
The media should stop the posting of phonographic pictures of women on internet and other social media and women empowerment programmes should be created by the government to educate women on the various political sectors in the society.
Nkemjika is an intern with The Tide.