A recent study conducted by Muhammed Lamin Drammeh, a Gambian master’s student at the Communication University of China, has laid bare what many in the industry have long suspected but rarely documented in detail that gender inequality in Gambian journalism is not about entry, but about exit from power.
At the state broadcaster, women occupy only about 20 percent of leadership positions. At a leading print newspaper, the figure rises slightly to 25 percent. At a major online news outlet, women are completely absent from leadership.
“For years, I watched talented women enter Gambian journalism, work hard, and somehow never reach the top,” Drammeh said. “I wanted to understand why.”
His research, based on in-depth interviews with 17 women journalists, editors, and key informants across three media organisations, suggests the barriers are not isolated incidents but a system one shaped by opaque promotion structures, gendered assignment patterns, workplace harassment, weak institutional protection, and socio-cultural expectations that quietly shape newsroom decisions.
Women make up 37 percent of The Gambia’s media workforce, according to Gambia Press Union data from 2020. Yet their presence steadily diminishes as positions become more influential.
“The problem is not a lack of talent or qualifications,” Drammeh explained. “The problem is that the system rewards visibility, relationships, and informal power more than merit.”
A System Without a Map
Across newsrooms, women described promotion processes that are rarely written down, formally explained, or transparently communicated.
Advancement, they said, often depends on who is noticed, who is connected, and who fits into informal newsroom networks rather than clearly defined performance criteria.
A senior female journalist at the state broadcaster described promotions as largely influenced by longevity or personal relationships. Another journalist said she was never told what progression in her career should look like. At an online outlet, a reporter admitted she had no understanding of what promotion even entailed.
At a print newspaper, a young journalist said she felt “lost,” explaining that no one had ever outlined a pathway for upward mobility.
In this environment, career progression becomes less of a structured journey and more of a guessing game one that disadvantages those without access to informal networks of influence.
The Politics of Assignment
In journalism, assignment is power.
The beats journalists are given determine their visibility, credibility, travel opportunities, and ultimately their readiness for leadership.
Yet the study found that high-impact assignments politics, presidential coverage, major national events remain largely dominated by men.
Women journalists repeatedly described being channelled toward “soft” beats such as health, education, and women’s issues, while men were assigned to politics, presidential reporting, and high-profile national coverage.
One senior journalist at the state broadcaster said male colleagues routinely covered the President and Vice President, along with international travel assignments linked to those roles. Another journalist said female reporters were often passed over for overseas training opportunities without explanation.
At a newspaper, a senior reporter who has spent over a decade covering women and children’s issues said she had even seen male colleagues assigned to cover the Ministry of Gender and women-focused conferences.
“It keeps happening,” she said.
Drammeh said the impact is cumulative and deeply structural.
“When women are consistently denied high-visibility assignments, they are later judged as lacking experience despite never being given the opportunity to gain it,” he said.
Harassment and Silence in the Workplace
Perhaps the most disturbing finding in the study relates to workplace harassment.
Gambia Press Union research cited in the study indicates that sexual harassment remains prevalent in the media sector. A Women Journalists Association leader told researchers that at least half of women journalists reported having experienced some form of harassment.
Yet reporting remains low.
“Women are afraid to report because they fear retaliation,” Drammeh said. “They fear losing opportunities, being blacklisted, or being blamed.”
Some media houses reportedly lack formal harassment policies altogether. Others have policies on paper but little trust in enforcement.
At one broadcaster, a journalist noted that while maternity leave policies exist, protections against harassment require far stronger implementation. At another outlet, senior reporters confirmed there was no formal sexual harassment policy in place.
The result is silence a culture where women are forced to absorb harm quietly in order to protect their careers.
Assumptions That Shape Careers
Beyond formal systems, the study highlights another powerful barrier: assumption.
Newsroom decisions are often shaped by unspoken beliefs about women’s availability and suitability for certain roles.
Editors frequently assume that married women or mothers cannot handle late-night assignments, travel-heavy beats, or breaking news schedules without ever asking them directly.
One journalist at the state broadcaster said her assignments were routinely adjusted based on assumptions about her family responsibilities.
“They decided my availability without even asking me,” she said.
Drammeh described this as one of the most subtle but powerful forms of exclusion not always visible as discrimination, but deeply influential in shaping career trajectories.
Surviving, Not Advancing
The study also situates gender inequality within the broader economic fragility of the media industry.
Low salaries, unstable revenue streams, and limited institutional support make journalism a survival profession for many.
But the burden is heavier for women, particularly those with caregiving responsibilities.
One journalist, a single mother with experience across three countries, captured this reality starkly:
“If you are just surviving, you cannot build a career.”
The statement reflects a wider truth that economic insecurity limits ambition, narrows opportunity, and filters out those without external support systems.
Two Realities in One Newsroom
One of the most striking contradictions in the study is the gap between management perceptions and women journalists’ lived experiences.
Some editors insist gender equality exists within their organisations. Others argue that women are less prepared or lack the necessary academic qualifications. In some cases, women are told they remain in journalism due to lack of alternative options.
But women in the study describe a different reality: opaque promotions, unequal assignments, informal exclusion, and systemic barriers to advancement.
Drammeh says this disconnect is itself part of the problem.
“If those in leadership do not see inequality, then change becomes impossible,” he said. “Women are forced to prove discrimination exists before it is addressed.”
Women Responding to the System
Despite these barriers, women journalists are not passive participants in the system.
Some are investing in further education and professional training to become indispensable. Others are learning to strategically navigate newsroom politics to secure opportunities.
In one case, a journalist secured a parliamentary correspondent role only after presenting a detailed portfolio and formally requesting a meeting with her editor.
Others are choosing a different path altogether building their own platforms.
One senior journalist is reportedly preparing to launch an independent media house, a move Drammeh describes as an “entrepreneurial exit.”
“It is the ultimate act of agency,” he said. “But it also raises a difficult question: what happens to traditional newsrooms when their most talented women leave?”
Voices from the Industry
The findings of the study are echoed by media practitioners and industry leaders.
Isatou Keita, President of the Gambia Press Union, said the underrepresentation of women in leadership remains one of the media sector’s most persistent challenges.
She noted that while women continue to contribute significantly as reporters, presenters, producers, and editors, their progression into senior roles is still limited by deep-rooted stereotypes and informal systems of promotion.
“Women are often expected to prove themselves more than their male counterparts,” she said, “and are frequently overlooked despite having the qualifications and experience required for leadership.”
Keita also highlighted structural challenges such as lack of mentorship, weak institutional support for work-life balance, and inconsistent promotion practices.
She stressed the need for clear, transparent, and merit-based systems, alongside mentorship and leadership development programmes to support women’s advancement.
Similarly, Anette Anta Camara, President of the Women Journalists Association of The Gambia, said leadership spaces remain heavily influenced by unconscious bias, workplace harassment, and unequal access to opportunity.
She warned that exclusion of women from editorial leadership directly affects newsroom priorities and the diversity of stories told.
“When women are excluded, critical issues such as gender-based violence, maternal health, and social justice are often underreported or poorly framed,” she said.
Binta Jawo, a female journalist, shared her personal experience of being routinely assigned to lifestyle stories while male colleagues were given political and investigative beats.
She said she had to actively request more challenging assignments to prove her capability.
“I would like to see mentorship programmes and clear promotion pathways that are accessible to all,” she said.
The Unseen Ceiling
picture of Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
Drammeh’s conclusion is both stark and urgent: the underrepresentation of women in Gambian media leadership is not a question of ability, but of structure.
“This study shows that women’s absence from leadership is not due to lack of talent but to a layered system,” he said, “and a dangerous perceptual gap where editors do not see what their staff experience.”
He argues that the implications extend far beyond newsroom equity.
“Advancing gender equality in journalism is not just fairness,” he said. “It is a democratic necessity. A media that excludes women’s voices and leadership cannot fully serve society or hold power to account.”
The study ultimately reveals a profession at a crossroads one where talent is abundant, but opportunity is unevenly distributed; where women are visible, but not powerful; and where equality exists more in perception than in practice.
Until that gap is closed, Drammeh warns, the ceiling in Gambian media will remain intact invisible to some, exhausting to others, and costly to journalism itself.
