Over the ages, society has set down how we, as men and women, should or should not behave. We are taught 'appropriate behaviour and attitudes, roles and activities, expectations and desires' and it's these that make up our gender identity.

Also, society has been constructed in terms of public and private spheres. The 'public' sphere - which includes the space for the media - where discussions take place and political and economic decisions are made, has traditionally been perceived as the male sphere.

The 'private' space of the home has been viewed as the female space. This social construction of gender roles has profound implications for women and men, this applies equally to women and men working in the media.

Women's Empowerment

• acquiring knowledge and understanding of gender relations and the ways in which these relations might be changed
• developing a sense of self-worth, a belief in one's ability to secure desired changes and the right to control one's life
• gaining the ability to generate choices and exercise bargaining power
• developing the ability to organize and influence the direction of social change to create a more just social and economic order.

In this section we will look at:

• Breaking through the glass ceiling
• Women in economics and politics
• Media Women
• A male perspective