Who makes the news in 2025? What progress has been made towards gender equality in and through the media over the past three decades? What can be done to address remaining gaps and current challenges?

On Thursday, 4 September, WACC Global and the GMMP Network will announce key findings from the 7th edition of the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), the world’s largest and longest-running study of gender in the world news media.

Co-hosts for the online launch “Half the world, a quarter of the news” together with WACC are UN Women – a GMMP implementing partner since 2010 – and the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA).

Conducted every five years for the past 30 years, the GMMP surveys how women are represented, portrayed, and engaged as subjects, sources, and reporters, in comparison to men. The WACC flagship initiative reveals the extent to which women have power, voice, and visibility in global media – and where advocacy is needed to advance democracy, equality, and accountability.

The GMMP 2025 findings come at a landmark moment as the world is marking 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action at the Fourth World Conference on Women.

“The GMMP is the sole data source on progress on Beijing’s Section J ‘Women and the Media,’” notes GMMP Expert Group Convenor Sarah Macharia. “The GMMP in 2025 identifies where Section J stands 30 years after Member States committed to advance gender equality in this area.”

GMMP Global Coordinator Rodrigo Molina will present the Highlights of Findings report from global monitoring conducted on 6 May 2025, spotlighting where progress has stalled and where breakthroughs are emerging. Recommendations for action will be shared by WACC Deputy Secretary Sara Speicher.

A panel discussion with media and civil society representatives will show what must change if the media are to represent half the world’s population fairly while countering the violence and harm that persist in women’s lives.

The launch also will feature remarks from Kirsi Madi, UN Women deputy executive director and Valeria Robecco, UNCA president.

Register today for the online event “Half the world, a quarter of the news” on 4 September at 9–10am EDT (New York).

Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown