FOREWORD

When I was contesting for the SLAJ presidency in 2019 I resolved, after extensive consultations with potential voters, that it was me to confront the age-old challenge of gender inequality in the Sierra Leone media. The media has always been male-dominated; in terms of numbers, ownership, representation in leadership positions, the distribution of assignments in the newsroom, representation in media content, education, as well as in the operations of SLAJ and its affiliate bodies.

It is true that discrimination, harassment, and inequality on the basis of gender are not limited to the media. But as an agent of societal change, it is important that the media take intentional steps to address these issues within the industry.

In my first term as President, my administration established the Gender Advisory Panel (GAP), composed of SLAJ members and people from civil society, to advise us on mainstreaming gender within the Association  and our affiliates and conduct training to help our members cover women and girls better.