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Gender equality in the media
Research tells us violence against women can be reduced in Australia by increasing gender equality in all aspects of everyday life.
The media can contribute to efforts to prevent violence before it occurs through respectful, safe and accurate reporting that challenges gender-based stereotypes and disrespect towards women.
The media industry - also has a role to play in building safe, respectful and gender equitable workplaces.
Gender equitable reporting
Media leadership can work to address violence against women by commissioning stories that:
- Challenge gender stereotypes. Research spanning more than 160 countries found that only 3% of news stories, in print and on radio and television, clearly challenge gender stereotypes. This is relevant because men who support stereotyped ideals of masculinity, such as needing to act tough, be dominant, hide feelings and be in control, are 17 times more likely to say they have hit a partner. Diverse, positive media representations of women and men can help to disrupt these attitudes.
- Depict women in respectful ways. Positive media representations of women, including of women’s bodies and sexuality, can help to challenge disrespect towards women in the community.
- Increase female representation. Women are far less likely to be represented in the media as sources. Across 30 of Australia’s most influential news sites, women were found to account for under a third of quoted sources on front pages.Equal numbers of women and men in the media, including as subjects and sources, can play a role in addressing gender inequality in public and private life. Women may initially be more hesitant to be interviewed as expert sources, but research shows they respond to clear, informed requests and demonstrated fair reporting.
- Have more gender-equitable bylines. In Australia in 2024, a third of front-page stories were written by women, compared to two-thirds by men, while female journalists wrote 10 per cent of sport stories, and under 15% of foreign affairs stories. Editors have a role to play in supporting journalists of all genders to write across beats.
Explore the Prevention Knowledge Report Media brief below for more on how your media organisation can strengthen its coverage on violence against women.
Media as a force for change: practice brief for newsrooms
Gender equitable newsrooms
As places where many adults spend large amounts of their time, workplaces play an important role in shaping attitudes towards gender equality and addressing the drivers of violence against women.
Yet men still occupy two-thirds of top media management positions in Australia, and the majority of women surveyed for a Women in Media Industry Insight Report considered the media industry's commitment to gender equality as somewhat weak.
A global survey has found nearly a quarter of women journalists and media workers have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression and almost 13 per cent were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of online violence against them.
Through embedding gender equality measures in workplaces, media leaders can help to prevent sexual harassment and other forms of gender-based violence, enhance workplace reputation, and improve productivity and business performance.
Find out more about promoting gender equality and preventing violence against women in your workplace.
Professional development for you and your staff
Our Watch Award
The Our Watch Award for excellence in reporting on violence against women and children improves the quality of reporting on by building awareness of gender inequality as a key driver of this violence.
Our Watch has been recognising and rewarding excellence in reporting on violence against women and children since 2015, initially through the Our Watch Awards which were administered by the Walkley Foundation. Since 2019 onwards the Our Watch Award has been presented as a part of the Walkley Mid-Year Celebration.
2026 winner
Claudia Long, Chantelle Al-Khouri, Hannah Meagher, ABC, for their story Predator's Paradise: Driving instructors accused of sexual assault which exposed the scale of sexual harassment and abuse faced by young people simply seeking to learn to drive.
Find more information on present and past winners of the Our Watch Award on the Walkley's website.
Past winners
2025, ABC News Breakfast team for Not Just a Number, an in-depth series about gendered violence against women over a week of special coverage of devoted to the exploration of men’s violence against women.
2024, Jessica Lodge, Melissa Downes, and Adam Buncher from Nine Entertainment Co. for Hannah’s Story, an in-depth investigation into the murders of Hannah Clarke and her three children.
2023, Richard Willingham, ABC, for a series of stories shining a light on victims of sexual assault being forced to wait for forensic examination due to doctor shortages.
Find out more
Visit the Walkley Foundation website for more information on the Award, including how to apply and winners from previous years.
Training for journalists and media professionals
Media Making Change – news reporting training on violence against women
Media Making Change newsroom training on violence against women is for journalists and media professionals across Australia looking to better understand best practice approaches to preventing violence against women.
This training provides participants with an introductory overview of violence against women, including what drives it and the media’s role in preventing it. It includes tips and participatory exercises on evidence-based framing and language, relevant sources and help lines, as well as culturally safe reporting.
The training packages run for 75 minutes, or 90 minutes, and can be delivered online or in person.
Information sessions for editors and managers
Get a concise overview of how Our Watch can support you and your teams to:
- strengthen reporting on violence against women
- access information on available training and resources
- learn how Our Watch can support media executives in creating safer, more gender-equitable workplaces
- connect with Our Watch’s Media Relations team for expert commentary, interviews, and background information.
How do I access the training?
To access the training or request an information session, contact Our Watch.
Our Watch Fellowship
The Our Watch Fellowship Program is a prestigious leadership opportunity that offers journalists the chance to learn best-practice reporting on violence against women, sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace and build on their knowledge on gender inequality.
Read about previous Our Watch Fellowships delivered in partnership with the Walkley Foundation: Fellows from 2019, Fellows from 2021 or the Fellows from 2022 here.
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