Women comprise about half the population of the world, but their presence in the news at the worldwide level is only around 24 %.

The presence of women in economic reports was only 2%, while the percentage of women’s presence in the news was 14% in 1995 and amounted to 16% in 2010, the last year of reliable counting. Women’s presence in stories related to politics and the government recorded a percentage of 10%.

In the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, women constitute 49.2% of the total population, while their participation as speakers in news broadcasts by Palestine TV during the period 14-27 May 2010 was only 15.5%.

In addition to these quantitative indicators, there are other aspects relevant to the content and nature of coverage and the resulting social impact. However, measuring this impact needs a critical and examining look at the type of editorial processing of media content.

In this respect, the following features can be monitored: the stereotypical image of women that confines her role to childbearing and taking care of children still persists; the exploitation of the image of women as victims in order to gain political sympathy; the use of women’s bodies to promote consumer commodities; treating women condescendingly; handling women’s rights as if it is a favour or dealing with women’s successes with astonishment, doubt and disapproval.