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Voices on the Screen : Gender Equity and Women's Media Presence in India

Dr Tejaswini Devakumar, MSc, PhD, Faculty Bengaluru City University, Bengaluru

Abstract

Despite constitutional guarantees and existing policy frameworks in India, the media continues to exhibit gender bias. Women remain underrepresented in newsroom leadership, media ownership, and as subjects in news stories. Their portrayal is often stereotypical, reinforcing regressive narratives by limiting women to traditional roles or objectifying them, particularly in television, film, and news reporting. News coverage tends to focus on the character of female victims rather than addressing systemic issues, and female experts in politics, science, and public life rarely receive the same visibility as their male counterparts.

Though some media organizations have introduced editorial guidelines for fair representation, implementation is sporadic and largely unmonitored. The rise of digital and social media platforms has added new challenges, including cyber harassment and the unchecked spread of patriarchal content. Compared to global standards set by institutions like UNESCO and initiatives in Nordic countries or Canada, India lags significantly behind. These international models emphasize transparency, mandatory gender-sensitive training, equitable leadership, and accountability—areas where Indian media remains deficient due to a lack of political will, regulatory enforcement, and industry-wide commitment.

The paper proposes a comprehensive set of measures to bridge these gaps. These include establishing regulatory oversight through a Gender Equality Commission for Media, making gender sensitization training mandatory for media professionals, integrating gender studies into journalism education, and incentivizing content that promotes gender equity. It also recommends increasing women’s representation in decision-making roles within media organizations and launching public awareness campaigns to promote media literacy and demand for inclusive content. Further, it calls for independent research bodies to monitor gender representation and collaboration with international agencies for better practices. In the digital space, stricter moderation policies, legal protections against online abuse, and support structures for women content creators are vital.