Women and Mass Media

(A) Efforts and Progress

1. Introduction of relevant regulations and policies to further promote gender equality in the media world

The Report to the Eighteenth National Congress stresses the need to "strengthen social management of cyberspace and promote orderly network operation according to law, cracking down on pornography and wiping out vulgar entertainment." The Program for the Development of Chinese Women (2011-2020) proposes to enable women's access to knowledge and information through the media based on better-established gender equality monitoring mechanisms and enhanced guidance and management of the media. In the Administrative Measures for Radio, Film and Television Advertising (SARFT Decree No.61, 2009) and the Regulations on the Content of TV Series (SARFT Decree No.63, 2010), the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) explicitly prohibits obscene plots in advertising, television and other media programs. The Notice of the SARFT on Strengthening the Review and Regulation of Radio and Television Advertising (2010) also required to "resolutely ban sex-related advertising." To crack down on Internet-based production and dissemination of pornographic information, the national office of the task force against pornography and illegal publications, the State Internet Information Office, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry decided to carry out a special joint action to combat pornographic and illegal information on the Internet nationwide from mid-April to November 2014. The action is called "net purging," in an effort to identify online pornographic information and punish producers and disseminators of pornographic information.

2. Attention paid to gender equality issues to lead public opinion

Women's issues have been highlighted across the mass media, in order to promote policy improvement through media communication and public opinion, such as the abolishment of the sentence called "having paid sex with underage girls," and "the domestic violence case of Li Yang," where media exposure contributed to the progress of national laws and policies. On December 4, 2013, the People's Daily launched a column entitled "how to break gender discrimination in employment," keeping a close eye on female job seekers suffering gender discrimination . Mainstream media's positive coverage of women has also been increased, with active publicity about the contribution of women in the science and technology, economy and rural development and other fields, which plays an important role in redressing discrimination against women and damage to their rights and interests in the current Chinese context, such as the timely disclosure of preachers of obsolete women's virtues that ignored the dignity and value of women. Some excellent film and literary works have also helped to make new progress in disseminating awareness of gender equality and incarnating women's significance.
Meanwhile, platforms for the dissemination of gender equality have been set up backed by the new media. Women's organizations and groups have made their own voice heard by creating accounts discussing gender equality and women's rights on these platforms. For example, the ACWF, the Chinese Women's Research Society, the China Women's News and the CWDF all set up their official microblogs ("voice of women", china-woman.com, Gender Research Letters, etc.) for the timely delivery of gender equality messages, calling to raise public awareness of gender equality.

3. Increased proportion of female workers in the media sector

The number and proportion of women working in the media increased, with more female employees engaged in media production. Women accounted for 42.3 percent of certified journalists in China in 2009 , which grew to 43 percent as of November 5, 2012. Among young journalists, women take a greater share; in the new media structure, the proportion of women has reached nearly 70 percent .

4. Strengthened training across media practitioners on gender awareness

On April 17, 2014, the NWCCW, the Ministry of Culture, the SARFT and the State Council Information Office jointly organized a gender awareness training session for news media nationwide, attended by principals of the Central Committee of the Communist Young League, Xinhua.net, People's Daily Online and other mainstream media. In December 2011, the ACWF Human Resource Training Center organized a training session for the broadcasting and television system called "Gender and the Media." Local programs and competitions have also been combined with gender training to cultivate gender-sensitive media workers.

(B) Gaps and Challenges

1. Some media regulations and policies as well as the regulation practices are not sufficiently gender-sensitive

Currently, gender-insensitiveness prevails in government media regulatory measures, which rarely involve evaluation standards for gender equality. In related media regulatory ordinances issued by government administrators, while pornography, obscenity and violence are prohibited on paper, content of women's sexual and reproductive health may be also swept up, coupled with a flaw in the state policy for banning advertisements misusing women's physical charm or discriminating against women, leaving the relevant pictures and words to frequently appear in the media.

2. Stereotypes of gender inequality remain in media coverage and communication 

In the new media context, blaming the victims and disclosing their privacy occur frequently in coverage of cases involving sex and violence. In the discussion of family issues and relations between genders, remarks imposing traditional gender norms on women appear once and again. Women claiming their own rights often face personal attack or verbal violence from opponents. Media image of women is still swamped in gender stereotypes somehow. Take the Metro magazine as an example: only one percent of its articles in 2012 talked about women's development, while only 0.9 percent contributed positively to the advancement of women. The possibility of male presence in the news is 2.4 times higher than that of females. In the reported issues, women newsmakers usually show up in the private sphere, followed by the workplace and public life, yet rarely mentioned in political affairs. Among the persons quoted, compared with men, it is more difficult for women to act as a spokesman, expert or commentator in the news. Meanwhile, media publicity and consumer culture conspire to draw a number of stylish-looking, traditional-mindset female images. Such gender-insensitive coverage has largely affected people, especially young people, in establishing and practicing the values of gender equality. Also, new communications technology has challenged the literacy campaign for gender equality. Tools such as the Internet, SMS and WeChat, while providing consumers with convenient services, become a carrier to some extent to copy and disseminate gender stereotypes and even sexist remarks.

3. Gender inequality prevails across the mass media sector, stressing the need to empowering women in media agencies 

Given that the new media and public discourse are still male dominated, though women's organizations and groups have already made their voices heard, they still find it hard to effectively get access to the mainstream. Females remain a rare existence among senior media executives, stressing the need to enhance women's status in mass media. Gender inequality is prevalent in respect of job placement, task assignment, promotion and maternity rights insurance. Management positions are still mainly occupied by men. Profession norms against gender discrimination and sexual harassment are still to be developed and applied. Training on gender awareness targeted at media practitioners is often fragmented rather than systematic, and is not delivered on a sustainable basis.

4. Gender differences and urban-rural differences still exist in terms of media use

According to the third session of Chinese women's social status survey, the proportion of men surfing online reached 34.1 percent, compared to 29.1 percent among women, and a lower proportion among rural women (only 10.8 percent). Women's lower utilization of the Internet has impeded their access to information and right to speak through the Internet. Grassroots women's use of new means of dissemination and communication is still limited, especially rural and migrant women.

(C) Suggestions in Response

1. Indicators of combating gender discrimination and raising gender sensitiveness should be included in the regulation of the media, with the relevant systems established

Cultural and media policy featuring gender consciousness should be developed and pursued based on gender analysis and assessment. We should formulate cultural and media policy that can fully reflect the disparate needs and implications of two genders for their harmonious co-development,  and impose measures prohibiting gender discrimination in the meanwhile. We recommend drawing on the experience of international organizations in assessing the media, including gender-sensitive indicators in the state media regulatory policy, improving the media regulatory mechanisms by adding gender monitoring indicators, intensifying self-discipline of media and advertisers, ensuring autonomy of media coverage, encouraging media attention to gender issues, spreading gender equality awareness and prohibiting derogatory comments denying women's independent personality or other forms of gender discrimination in media coverage.

2. Gender equality should be considered in professional media training and journalism and communication teaching to cultivate more gender-sensitive media workers

The gender perspective should be highlighted in the curriculum and teaching materials of journalism and communication majors, with the inclusion of knowledge and philosophy of gender equality. Government authorities should organize regular themed training sessions, incorporating gender awareness into the training plans for media practitioners. Gender-sensitive coverage should become part of the annual summary or the performance evaluation mechanism for media practitioners, with appraisals and incentives launched to acknowledge reporters and encourage the media to develop gender-sensitive professional regulations and disciplinary codes. Guidance should be provided for the mass media to produce more news reports on women and gender issues.

Media players, especially public media, should make the necessary commitments and institutional arrangements to improve the status of women across the industry. The share of women should be at least one-third in decision-making and management bodies of news administrators and news disseminators. News media organizations should pay attention to gender equity in job placement and provide specialized training and education opportunities for women, thus creating a work environment without gender discrimination.

3. Women, especially grassroots women, should enjoy relevant support and training for better access to network resources and chances of learning information technologies 

Grassroots women, especially rural and migrant women, should be provided with an opportunity to benefit from the Internet and mobile communication technologies by supporting and encouraging them to get information and express their views via this platform.

4. Women need to be encouraged to make a voice through the new media 

A more favorable environment should be provided for women to speak loud in the new media, recognizing and valuing the alternative media established by women's organizations and groups, and supporting their coverage, supplemented by capacity building efforts to encourage and assist women's groups in need, especially rural, disabled and migrant women to claim their own appeals.

5. International exchanges and cooperation in the field of media gender research and practice should be expanded

World-class academic accomplishments should be introduced, with expanded international exchanges and cooperation in research and practice. In order to form an effective mechanism for international dialogue and cooperation, we recommend organizing international forums and seminars, attending major overseas conferences, establishing necessary cross-border cooperation channels, and encouraging project collaboration and academic exchange.

(Women of China)