Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has stressed that the relationship between women in government and women in media must not be accidental but strategic to strengthen democratic accountability.
The Vice President made this statement on Thursday at a networking event for women in government and media at the Jubilee House in Accra.
She explained that media shapes perception, perception influences confidence, and confidence sustains institutions, making the partnership between the two groups essential for national development.
“The relationship between women in government and women in media must therefore not be accidental. It must be strategic. Media shapes perception. Perception influences confidence. Confidence, by turn, sustains institutions,” Professor Opoku-Agyemang stated.
The Vice President warned that when gender issues are reduced to clickbait, the public is denied substance, and when stories about women focus on superficial issues like appearance at the expense of competence and outcomes, the space for women in public life becomes very small and sometimes insignificant.
She emphasized that women in media hold a strategic position, noting that they are more than mere participants in public conversation but help shape its terms by deciding which stories are framed as serious and which are reduced to spectacle.
“Women in media, therefore, hold a strategic position. More than mere participants in public conversation, you help shape its terms. You help decide which stories are framed as serious and which are reduced to spectacle,” the Vice President said.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang explained that those who recount narratives do not simply report but organize attention, helping to determine what is urgent, what is trivial, and what is ignored, which represents a substantial form of power.
She noted that visibility can expand possibilities and normalize women’s authority but must be accompanied by credibility, which must be sustained by public trust.
The Vice President stated that trust is built through accountability, communication, and competence, strengthened when policies are explained clearly, institutions engage openly, and leaders remain consistent.
She added that when the media reports with context rather than sensationalism, trust is grounded, reinforcing the need for women journalists and editors to maintain high standards in their work.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang called on women journalists and editors to carry their responsibility not because women are morally superior but because their presence changes perspective in editorial rooms, allowing them to question framing, challenge assumptions, and insist on depth.
She acknowledged that the pressures of the digital age mean speed and controversy tend to be rewarded and travel faster than substance, but stressed that standards must still govern editorial choices.
The Vice President urged women in government and public institutions to continue leading with integrity, communicating transparently, and mentoring deliberately, noting that visibility should not stop at self-promotion but should explain work clearly so citizens can judge performance on substance rather than speculation.
She told women entering public life and journalism that their bylines, reporting, and leadership will shape people’s understanding of power and potential, encouraging them to interrogate every story and decision with questions about whether it clarifies, provokes, informs, or inflames.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang stated that democratic governance depends on informed citizens, informed citizens depend on credible journalism and credible leadership, and the forum should signal an intentional relationship in which women in governance and media work together professionally to strengthen democratic accountability.
She called for commitment to leadership that is visible, credible, and compassionate, building institutions that earn trust through words and actions while shaping national narratives responsibly.
The Vice President greeted attendees on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, noting that the President had been in Cabinet all day and would have attended if not for his busy schedule
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
