National Assembly speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila advocates for fair media reporting on women leaders

National Assembly speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has urged media organizations to report fairly on women in leadership positions, noting that coverage often focuses on controversy and personal conduct rather than their work and achievements. Speaking at the 35th anniversary celebrations of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation in Windhoek, she stated that this imbalance erodes public confidence in women leaders and discourages women from participating in public matters. Kuugongelwa-Amadhila emphasized that women leaders are frequently judged on personal issues, with less attention given to their professional contributions in government, business, and other fields. She argued that focusing on personal conduct over performance weakens accountability and distorts the understanding of leadership. The speaker clarified that her call is not for favorable treatment but for fair, substantive, and contextualized reporting based on facts. She also expressed concern about online abuse targeting women, including harassment, impersonation, deepfakes, and disinformation campaigns, which can lead women to withdraw from public life. Kuugongelwa-Amadhila urged public media to avoid spreading abusive content and to report responsibly on digital violence against women. Additionally, she called for more training for journalists in specialized fields such as economics, public finance, health, technology, and legislative processes.