WCC News: Media Gender Equality Stalled 30 Years After Beijing

Key findings and recommendations from the 7th edition of the Global Media Monitoring Project were released on 4 September, providing an overview of gender equality—and what can be done to address the gaps.  Photo: Grégoire de Fombelle/WCC 05 September 2025 The World Association for Christian Communication, coordinator of the Global Media Monitoring Project Network, organized a dialogue, “Half the world, a quarter of the news," cohosted with UN Women and the United Nations Correspondents Association. Conducted every five years for the past 30 years, the Global Media Monitoring Project surveys how women are represented, portrayed, and engaged as subjects, sources, and reporters, in comparison to men. The findings reveal the extent to which women have power, voice, and visibility in global media – and where advocacy is needed to advance democracy, equality, and accountability. The Global Media Monitoring Project 2025 findings come as the world is marking 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action at the Fourth World Conference on Women. Key findings reveal that progress towards gender equality in the news media is flatlining, with women only 26% of the people seen, heard, or spoken about in print and broadcast news – a percentage that has only risen 2 points in the last 15 years. Despite its prominence in the lives of 50% of the population, gender-based violence is featured in less than two out of every 100 news articles worldwide. The report also revealed that women’s participation as sources continues to be primarily in ordinary roles, as popular opinion providers and interviewees giving eyewitness accounts.  The Beijing Platform demanded non-stereotyped portrayals, reinforced by the recent Pact for the Future (2024) which requires action to dismantle barriers for women and girls. In 2025, the report notes that gender stereotypes are more entrenched than they ever were over the past 30 years. Image: Global Media Monitoring Project Calls to action The United Nations General Assembly opening next Tuesday will examine progress on the Beijing Platform and launch a new Beijing Action Agenda, according to Kalliopi Mingeirou, chief of the Ending Violence against Women and Girls Section at UN Women.  She pointed to the GMMP 2025 key findings as a “wake-up call and a roadmap” for action, flagging where “progress has stalled and renewed effort is needed.” That only one in four people seen and read about in the news is a woman reveals a “gap in democracy,” Mingeirou declared. “Media is one of most powerful forces shaping public discourse, democracy, and accountability. When women are absent, democracy is incomplete and public discourse distorted. Without women’s voices, there is no full story, no fair democracy, and no shared future.” Closing the launch event, Sara Speicher, World Association for Christian Communication deputy general secretary, commended the committed gender justice activists around the world—and gave a call to action.  “All things remaining equal, gender parity in the people seen, heard, or spoken about in the news will not happen until at least 75 years from today, she said. “So, we do need a radical shift.” Speicher urged that this shift take the form of a broader look at how to factor in gender equality as an integral part of the media business models – as “a key element of quality journalism that strengthens public trust.” She reminded participants of the UN Pact for the Future and its Global Digital Compact approved a year ago with extensive commitments to women and girls – including addressing representation and experiences like tech-facilitated gender-based violence in today’s information society.  “All of us need to hold Member States to the commitments they have made.” A collective effort is needed, said Speicher, because reforming structures and systems takes a long time. “Sometimes it feels as if taking two steps back is much easier than the one step forward. But we do have networks, expertise, leadership, and commitment. Together we can push past this plateau and reignite significant progress towards gender equality.”   Learn more about the Global Media Monitoring Project See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland