Mai Ismail

Abstract

There is an upward trend in the employment of women in the media worldwide and in the Middle East. Despite their growing presence, women working in the industry continue to experience discrimination, gendered practices and sexist attitudes at the workplaces. This study examines the experiences of Egyptian women journalists. It employs a qualitative approach, building on in-depth interviews conducted with twenty early- to mid-career Egyptian female journalists. These work in state-run, private and independent news organizations whether in print, broadcast or online media. The analysis shows that the experience of female journalists is linked to various factors pertaining to the media environment; the ownership structure of media outlets; and the existence of sexist workplace cultures. Interviews show that women working in private organizations often face the most severe experiences of gender discrimination due to lack of job security and compromised working conditions. Interviewed women working in organizations with independent funding reported less severe experiences. Interviewed women note that they face discrimination in five main areas: discriminatory hiring promotion and wage policies; difficulty maintaining work-life balance; sexist workplace practices and sexual harassment; discrimination in the allocation of important reporting assignments and contentious relationships with leaders including women leaders.

Department

Public Policy & Administration Department

Degree Name

MA in Public Policy

Graduation Date

2-1-2019

Submission Date

January 2019

First Advisor

Barsoum, Ghada

Committee Member 1

El Baradei, Laila

Committee Member 2

El-Ibiary, Rasha

Extent

82p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

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