An Investigation of Career Barriers for Female Television News Anchor Essay

An Investigation of Career Barriers for Female Television News Anchor in Nigeria - Essay Example The fame which followed the emergence of female television news anchors was such that it encouraged the participation of numerous female broadcasters, actresses and journalists to enter the television field in private, state owned and federal television houses nationwide (Charles, 1989). Television, having introduced women on the screen, in roles often contradictory to the stereotypical domestic role of the women in society has also given rise to some fundamental, social, cultural, professional and ethical issues, which have come to affect the career path of women in the industry. Gender stereotyping is not limited to the field of television. This is an issue which transcends all strata of organizational, social and family life in Nigeria (Agnes & Ijeoma, 2010). Historians believe it to have stemmed from our cultural bias, values and belief system. For instance, before the advent of television in Nigeria, parents believed in sending their sons to acquire formal education in Law, Medi cine or Engineering while encouraging their daughters to learn the family trade and then get married. Society believed that a woman’s place resides squarely in the home and in rare cases when they were allowed to go to university, such conventional courses as mentioned above were the accepted courses to study. This was due to the image of prestige, dignity, integrity and decorum associated with such traditional career paths (Charles, 1989). The advent of WNTV in 1959 brought a fresh wave of courses such as Mass communication, public relations, Advertising etc, and with it, a new image of glamour and celebrity status was introduced into the Nigerian society. Schools teaching Mass communication and television houses started sprouting all over the country, making it possible for women who hitherto stayed at home after standard six to find a seemingly less demanding but glamorous career path (Charles, 1989). This resulted in women being offered jobs as actresses on stage (theatre ) and on TV, journalists and TV news anchors catapulting them from home based to stardom overnight and bringing to light the reality of being a mother, wife and working woman. Gone were the days of mothers being at home or owning their time, Television became the mistress, demanding 110% of the news anchors’ time (Bradshaw, 2009). 1.1 Gender Role Conflict: Work-life balance is at the heart of the conflict between the home and a woman’s career. The stereotyping of the role of women in the Nigerian society is directly linked to a complex historical process influenced by such factors as family, culture, religion, politics and economy (Charles, 1989). In Nigeria, a woman’s role starts within her family as the girl-child, then to being a wife and a mother. She is expected to keep the home together, take care of the children and her husband. She is expected to have no other ambition than to be a dutiful wife, an active mother, contribute to the economic growth of her family and community through keeping a viable family business of either petty trade or farming and be a role model to other women in the community