Report on Media Gender Parity and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

An analysis of recent findings from the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) 2025 reveals a significant stagnation in progress towards gender equality in media representation. This report outlines the key issues raised by officials from UN Women and the World Association for Christian Communication, framing them within the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The findings serve as a critical call to action for the international community, particularly ahead of the upcoming UN General Assembly, which will review the Beijing Platform.

Key Findings and Analysis

The GMMP 2025 findings have been described as a “wake-up call and a roadmap” for renewed action. The central issues identified include:

• Stagnant Representation: Only one in four individuals seen, heard, or read about in the news is a woman.
• Extended Timeline for Parity: At the current rate of progress, gender parity in news media will not be achieved for at least another 75 years.
• Democratic Deficit: The underrepresentation of women in media is characterized as a “gap in democracy,” which distorts public discourse and compromises institutional accountability.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The challenges highlighted in media representation are directly linked to the achievement of several core SDGs.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

The lack of female voices and perspectives in media directly undermines the targets of SDG 5, which aims to ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities in public life. When media, a powerful force in shaping public discourse, fails to represent women, it perpetuates inequality and hinders progress towards a shared and equitable future.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Media organizations are critical institutions in a functioning democracy. The report indicates that when these institutions are not inclusive, public discourse is distorted and democracy is rendered incomplete. Achieving SDG 16 requires building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels, a goal that cannot be met while women are systematically marginalized in public narratives.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The call for a “collective effort” to reform media structures underscores the importance of SDG 17. Progress requires robust partnerships between Member States, civil society organizations, and the media industry itself. Holding governments accountable for commitments made in frameworks like the UN’s Global Digital Compact is a crucial aspect of this multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Recommendations and Calls to Action

To accelerate progress and align media practices with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the following actions are recommended:

1. Institute a Radical Shift in Media Models: A fundamental change is required to integrate gender equality as an integral component of media business models and a key element of quality journalism, thereby strengthening public trust.
2. Enforce Accountability for International Commitments: All stakeholders must hold UN Member States accountable for their commitments to women and girls as outlined in agreements such as the UN Pact for the Future and its Global Digital Compact. This includes addressing representation and tech-facilitated gender-based violence.
3. Leverage Networks and Expertise: A collective effort utilizing existing networks, expertise, and leadership is necessary to push past the current plateau and reignite significant progress towards achieving gender equality in and through the media.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article primarily addresses issues related to two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• SDG 5: Gender Equality – This is the central theme of the article. The text focuses on the underrepresentation of women in the news media, the slow progress toward gender parity, and the need for a “radical shift” to achieve gender equality in public discourse. The GMMP 2025 findings, which show that “only one in four people seen and read about in the news is a woman,” directly highlight a significant gap in gender equality.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – The article connects the lack of female representation in media to the health of democratic institutions. Kalliopi Mingeirou states, “When women are absent, democracy is incomplete and public discourse distorted.” This links media, as a powerful institution, to the principles of accountability, inclusivity, and democracy, which are core to SDG 16.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s discussion, the following specific targets can be identified:

• Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
  
  The article’s main point about women’s invisibility in the news directly relates to their participation and visibility in public life. The media’s portrayal reflects and shapes public perception of who holds positions of authority and whose voices are considered important. The statistic that only one in four people in the news is a woman demonstrates a failure to achieve full and effective participation in public discourse.
• Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.
  
  The call to action urging stakeholders to “hold Member States to the commitments they have made” through instruments like the “UN Pact for the Future and its Global Digital Compact” directly aligns with this target. It emphasizes the need for strong commitments and policies to address gender representation and tech-facilitated gender-based violence, pushing for structural reform.
• Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements.
  
  The article argues that “Without women’s voices, there is no full story, no fair democracy, and no shared future.” This implies that public access to information is currently distorted and incomplete because it lacks gender balance. A fair and representative media is essential for ensuring the public has access to comprehensive information that reflects diverse perspectives, which is a cornerstone of this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions and implies specific indicators:

• Indicator for Target 5.5: Proportion of women seen, heard, or read about in the news.
  
  The article explicitly provides a quantifiable indicator from the GMMP 2025 key findings: “only one in four people seen and read about in the news is a woman.” This statistic is a direct measure of women’s visibility and representation in the public sphere as portrayed by the media. Tracking this percentage over time would measure progress toward gender parity in media.
• Indicator for Target 5.c: Adherence to international commitments on gender equality in digital and media spaces.
  
  The article implies an indicator by referencing the “UN Pact for the Future and its Global Digital Compact” and the need to “hold Member States to the commitments they have made.” Progress can be measured by monitoring the adoption and implementation of policies by member states that align with these international agreements, specifically those addressing women’s representation in media.
• Indicator for Target 16.10: Gender balance in news subjects and sources.
  
  The same statistic—that women constitute only 25% of people in the news—also serves as an indicator for this target. It measures the inclusivity of the information being made public. A significant gender imbalance indicates that the public’s access to information is skewed and not representative of society as a whole, thus undermining the quality of public discourse.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: oikoumene.org