By Mary Agidi

Gender stereotypes in leadership roles cut across every sector, race, and religion. In religious settings, the choir section is stereotypically viewed as feminine, with about 80 percent of its members being women. Meanwhile, the pastorate is patriarchal in nature, as women are often stereotyped as unsuitable or not “pure” enough to lead congregations. In cases where women are permitted to lead, many in the society criticise the religious institutions that allow it.

In the political ecosystem, women are often labeled as praise-singers during electioneering processes and valued mainly as voters. However, when it comes to contesting for positions, gender stereotypes set in. This is more prevalent in African societies compared to developed countries, where gender policies are more favourable toward women’s participation in leadership.

The stereotype against women is profound. In the educational sector, we have terms like Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree, and no Spinster’s Degree or Mistress Degree, which humorously seem to suggest that only men are entitled to attain such levels of education.

Narrowing it down to the media ecosystem, a study conducted by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism a few years ago on the gender ratio in media leadership in Nigeria, particularly in editorial departments,  revealed a significant gap between male and female representation.

According to the report, at the management level, the gender ratio was 10 men to 2 women. The research revealed that, out of 1,289 roles, men occupied 1,002 (72.73 percent), while women occupied 287 (22.27 percent ). For Board of Directors’ positions, out of 964 members, 742 were men (76.97 percent), while only 223 were women. Also, among 1,139 Senior Editors, there were 863 men and 276 women, representing an 8:2 ratio. This data was from 2017.

By 2019, there was a slight improvement, with 110 women out of 402 individuals in management across the 111 organisations sampled. Among the 318 individuals serving on boards, 77 (24.2%) were women, while 241 (75.8 percent) were men.

To bridge this leadership gap in newsrooms, the Female Reporters Leadership Programme Fellowship was launched by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (NSCIJ) in 2017. The programme prepares women in the media profession for leadership roles through training and mentorship opportunities.

While presenting these reports at the opening of the sixth edition of the programme for the 2025 cohort, the Chief Executive Officer of WSCIJ, Motunrayo Alaka, emphasised that the programme does not seek to promote matriarchy, but rather inclusivity in newsroom leadership.

She stated that many female editorial staff possess the expertise, skills, and qualifications required for leadership, stating that stereotypes and lack of preparedness among women to assert their abilities contribute to their relegation.

She also shared the WSCIJ’s 2019 report on gender policy and practice in Nigerian newsrooms, which revealed that only 19 out of 72 respondents said their organisations had internal gender policies.

“When newsrooms intentionally feature women as leaders of the newsroom and news, it makes natural, ethical, democratic, legal, editorial (news coverage, storytelling, audience representation) and economic sense,” she said.

“Like the media, like Nigeria,” says Alaka. Currently, only three women made it to the Senate out of 109 seats out of 92 who contested. Only 16 women occupy seats in the 360-member Green Chamber. Of the 990 State House of Assembly seats, women hold just 48. There are only six female Deputy Governors out of 36 states, no female Governor, and only nine female Ministers out of 48 federal appointments.

However, it is a fact that the female gender serves the roles of wives and mothers alongside professional responsibilities. This is one of the reasons for the fewer number of women in leadership. While some women censore  themselves due to societal expectations and systemic barriers, there is still room for work-life effectiveness  if there is determination to create change.

The WSCIJ’s Executive Director also highlighted some unique challenges faced by female reporters, including: the burden of anatomy; unpredictable schedules and tight deadlines; safety and mobility concerns; pressure to prove competence in a male-dominated field; managing relationships, caregiving, and self-care.

According to her, true work-life balance may not be possible, noting that  effectiveness is.

To achieve this, she encouraged professional women to: Prioritize and schedule tasks; leverage digital tools, set work/life boundaries by learning to say “no” strategically, invest in mental and physical well-being through self-care, mindfulness, and stress management by delegating household responsibilities and seeking peer support when overwhelmed.

For career growth without burnout, Alaka advised women journalists to invest in skill-building without overcommitting, be strategic about assignments that align with their goals  and negotiate terms when possible.

Stereotypes in media organisations can appear in various forms, says Stella Din-Jacob, Director of News and Editor-in-Chief at TVC. She pointed out generational stereotypes, which according to her,  is misconceptions between older and younger journalists—biases against certain beats, and assumptions about leadership roles and abilities.

Din-Jacob outlined the effects of stereotypes in the workplace, including workplace tension, disengagement, and talent attrition. She added that it limits opportunities for under represented groups in leadership roles.

Overcoming stereotypes, she said, requires inclusive leadership systems that support diverse voices in editorial decision-making.

To lead, one must have competence and confidence, according to the  the TVC Editor-in-Chief. Leadership in the newsroom, according to her, demands expertise, decisiveness and resilience.

She added that any female journalist aspiring  for leadership positions should be prepared to: Adapt to digital transformation and leverage AI tools; set editorial direction; manage teams and talents; ensure ethical journalism; handle crises and conflicts effectively.

There is, however, a gradual change in the narrative. Currently, we have more women rising to the challenge. In Ondo State, we now have women who are  heads of media organisations and are doing exceptionally well. The General Manager of NTA, Olubunmi Oke, is a woman;  also that of Radio Nigeria Positive FM, Abiodun Olalere. And recently, the Breeze FM appointed a woman as the Head of the Station, in person of Adeola Adekunle. Many women journalists are now beginning to demonstrate their expertise through digital platforms with the ‘I Can Do Spirit’.