A feminist investigation of the The Sunday Independent's representation of women's quest for political power in the ANC towards its elective conference in 2017
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Authors
Wutawunashe, Amos
Issue Date
2024-10-20
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
Gender , Feminism , Patriarchy , Women , Men , Media , Representation , Masculinity , Political power , Contestation
Alternative Title
Abstract
This study sought to investigate The Sunday Independent’s representation of women contestants with their male counterparts in the struggle for leadership towards the 2017 elective conference of the African National Congress. The study examined 32 newspaper pieces, including 22 opinion pieces, 2 hard news stories, and 8 editorials, focusing on the portrayal of both male and female candidates while considering the perspectives of the writers, journalistic styles, and placements. All the articles were electronically downloaded during the course of the study in 2022. The study poses the question- “How did the media represent women’s quest for political power within the ANC?” It also seeks to establish the major discourses emanating from the newspaper coverage of the gendered contestation for political power in the ANC. The study used feminism as its theoretical framework. The study used the case study as its research design and the qualitative research methodology as its research methodology. The findings reveal two dominant narratives concerning female candidates: one characterised by negative representation stemming from structural and cultural biases, and another that promotes positive feminist discourses, reframing women's roles in politics. Notably, the coverage highlights the virtues of female candidates, such as Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, in contrast to male candidates like Cyril Ramaphosa, who is often associated with corruption and scandals. Overall, the results indicate a gradual shift toward gender-balanced coverage, reflecting progress in equitable representation, though remnants of patriarchal bias remain. The study concludes that while negative stereotypes about female candidates are diminishing, they have not been entirely eradicated.