Monitoring HIV/AIDS Reporting Through a Gender Lens

This booklet, produced by Women’s Media Watch, South Africa, looks at how current HIV/AIDS reporting relates to gender. According to the booklet, sensationalist, misleading, inaccurate, and confusing information have increased negative attitudes towards People Living with HIV/AIDS. This is particularly so when it comes to reporting on HIV/AIDS in relation to women. The book claims that existing gender bias in reporting on HIV/AIDS reinforces existing gender structures and stereotyping. For example, women are often seen as the guilty agents of infection, while men’s active role in spreading the virus is neglected.

The booklet serves as a resource for media practitioners and media advocates and aims to empower media advocates to analyse and challenge the content and style of reporting in a critical manner. The booklet provides information on how to monitor media, and offers a series of practical exercises that can help in analysing media on HIV/AIDS from an gender perspective.

This booklet was produced with funding from the World Association of Christian Communications and the Norwegian Women's Front.