Women journalists at a conference on women in media leadership called for equal representation, leadership roles in media sector.
The demands came during a one-day conference held in Islamabad that highlighted the leadership role of women journalists in Pakistan’s media landscape, their representation in press clubs and unions, and the challenges they face in newsrooms and field reporting.
The event, organized in collaboration with the Women Media Center Pakistan and the National Endowment for Democracy, brought together representatives from press clubs and journalist unions across the country to discuss gender disparity, workplace challenges, and opportunities for women in journalism.
Speaking at the conference, a senior journalist and founder of the Women Media Center, Fauzia Shaheen, said that despite the expansion of Pakistan’s media industry, the gender gap continues to widen.
She referred to findings of the Global Media Monitoring Project 2025, noting that women remain largely absent from key decision-making positions, while only around four percent of women reporters are working in field assignments.
Former chairperson of the Sindh Commission on the Status of Women, Nuzhat Shireen, recalled that during the era of General Zia-ul-Haq, women journalists had stood alongside their male counterparts in the struggle for media freedom, emphasizing their long-standing contribution to press activism.
Former secretary of the National Press Club, Fauzia Shahid, remarked that when women limit their own ambitions, opportunities for progress are also restricted. She added that several prominent women journalists in the past have worked on equal footing with men in the profession.
Senior journalist Farhat stressed the importance of women supporting other women in professional spaces, particularly in leadership pathways within media organizations. Participants emphasized that selection for leadership roles in press clubs and unions should be based on equality and merit. Women journalists also shared practical suggestions to improve representation and career advancement opportunities in the sector. Senior analyst Zafarullah Khan called for the development and implementation of a formal policy framework to address the real concerns and demands of women journalists within unions and media bodies. The participants agreed that equal opportunities, safe working environments, and meaningful representation in decision-making structures are essential to strengthening the role of women in Pakistan’s media industry.
