Promoting gender equality in and through the media
Mediating Women is a foundation based in Malta focusing on gender equality and the media. Our work covers media monitoring, media education and training, research, and media policy.
About us
Mediating Women is a foundation based in Malta focusing on gender equality and the media. We are working to promote gender equality in and through the media, and we aim to do this by:
- giving focus and space to issues around media and gender
- serving as an activism and action platform for issues around media and gender
- acting as a media watchdog
- dealing with and informing people on media policy
- raising awareness around media regulations
- engaging in media education projects and outreach programmes
- educating media organisations and content producers in order to generate balanced media content
- encouraging self-regulation within media organisations with regard to equal opportunities
- actively taking part in media research projects
The foundation was established in January 2020 by Professor Brenda Murphy, following a number of decades of reporting on media representation in Malta which recorded consistent findings and limited change. It is run on a voluntary basis. Mediating Women is a member of the Malta Women's Lobby, which forms part of the European Women's Lobby.
Gender in the news, 1995 to 2020
The Global Media Monitoring Project is the longest running research on gender in the news media. Every five years, volunteers in more than a hundred countries record the people who appear in one day of news coverage and note their gender. Malta has taken part in this research, and the national reports were prepared within our team.
The figures show the share of the people heard, read about or seen in newspaper, television and radio news who were women. The 2020 research analysed 30,172 stories across 116 countries. On the basis of the current rate of change, the project estimates that a further 67 years would be required to reach parity in traditional news media. Source: Global Media Monitoring Project.
What our monitoring looks at
Alongside the counting, we record a number of recurring practices and raise them with the organisations concerned.
All male panels
We record expert panels on television, at conferences and in the comment pages on which no women are included. In most cases women working in the relevant field are available, and we make this point to the organisers.
Speaking time and interruptions
We look at who is able to complete a point in a broadcast discussion and who is spoken over, since this affects which contributors an audience understands to be authoritative.
Headlines and framing
We look at wording which obscures responsibility, and at descriptions of women that refer to appearance or family role in contexts where a man would be described by his occupation.
Woman dies after domestic incident
Man kills his wife
Wording of this kind removes the person responsible from the sentence. Rewriting it is a question of accuracy rather than of tone, and it is consistent with the reporting guidelines on domestic violence and femicide that are already in use internationally.
Our objectives
- To provide support and information for students, youths, media practitioners, researchers and policy makers.
- To educate in schools, youth organisations, media organisations and among the general public about the importance of a gender balanced media.
- To seek and promote, on a national level, the participation of the Organisation.
- To raise public and political awareness on the importance of a gender balanced media.
- To promote and present the interests of the Organisation's members to the notice of local administration and authorities, international organisations and other authorities.
- To raise funds by means of subscription of members or otherwise for all the purposes and objectives of the Organisation, in such amounts and in such manner as may be authorised by the Executive Committee.
- To form part of any national or international organisations whose aims are similar to those of the Organisation.
- To encourage and promote research.
Our team
Mediating Women is run on a voluntary basis by three members, who between them bring experience in academic research, media practice and gender equality advocacy.
BMProf. Brenda Murphy
Founder
She lectured at the University of Malta's Department of Gender and Sexualities between 1994 and 2023, and prepared Malta's national reports for the Global Media Monitoring Project.
SCSandy Calleja Portelli
Lecturer, researcher and gender equality advocate
Her work focuses on gender, media representation, communication and public engagement.
LVLouiselle Vassallo
Lecturer, researcher and documentary filmmaker
She works on gender equality and good governance, and has a background in broadcasting and political campaign strategy.
Our networks and partners
We collaborate with academic institutions and with international organisations, and a considerable part of our activity is carried out through these networks.
Global Media Monitoring Project
The longest running research on gender in the news media, repeated every five years since 1995. Malta's national reports were prepared within our team. Visit the GMMP website
Malta Women's Lobby
We are a member of the Malta Women's Lobby, which forms part of the European Women's Lobby and brings together non-governmental organisations working on gender equality across a range of policy areas.
AGEMI
Advancing Gender Equality in Media Industries, a European project which produces resources for journalists and media organisations. We use these materials in training with local stakeholders and in media studies teaching.
University of Malta
We take part in seminars, guest lectures and research colloquia organised with the Department of Gender and Sexualities, which bring together academics, students and media practitioners.
Broadcasting Authority and policy consultation
We contribute to consultations with the Broadcasting Authority and with national policy makers, and submit recommendations on media guidelines and on the fair representation of gender in broadcasting.
Publications
- Languishing in inertia: gender issues and media landscapes from Beijing 1995 to Paris 2018 Murphy, B. (2018). European Commission.
- Malta: a case study Murphy, B. (2018). FEMM Committee, European Parliament.
- Critical challenges facing women and girls in the media Murphy, B. (2015). Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Malta.
In the media
- Why media portrayal of women matters Malta Today, March 2020
- This woman thinks it's time to lead the charge Times of Malta, February 2020
- We see you THINK magazine, University of Malta, December 2019
- Malta Women's Lobby
- European Women's Lobby
- University of Malta
- GMMP
- UNESCO
- GAMAG
- COPEAM
- ECREA
- AGEMI
Contact us
Members of our team are available for comment, for panel discussions and for radio and television contributions. We also provide training and information on request, and we welcome enquiries about our work.
mediatingwomen@gmail.com- Journalists. We can suggest women with expertise in the subject you are reporting on.
- Media organisations and schools. We provide workshops on gender sensitive reporting.
- Students and researchers. We share monitoring data and reading lists on media and gender.
- Volunteers. We welcome enquiries from people who would like to assist with our work.