In the age of digital storytelling and 24-hour news cycles, communication is currency, and for women in leadership, it can serve as both a tool for influence and a source of vulnerability. The media’s power to shape perceptions has never been more potent, but when it comes to women in leadership, what we see and how it’s portrayed remains heavily shaped by gender bias.
Across the globe, women are occupying more leadership positions in politics, corporate spaces, civil society, and public service. Despite this growing visibility, the media remains a double-edged sword, elevating some women, while reinforcing harmful stereotypes about others. The question isn’t just whether women are being seen, but how they are being portrayed, and what that means for their credibility, legitimacy, and influence.
Gendered frames in media
According to a 2020 report by the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP)—the largest and longest-running research initiative on gender in the news media—only 25% of people heard, read about, or seen in newspaper, television and radio news are women [GMMP, 2020]. Even worse, when women are featured, their appearance, family roles, or emotional disposition are often emphasized over their professional expertise or leadership capacity.
In Nigeria, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism found that only 12.1% of news sources are women, and less than 5% of stories focus specifically on women’s issues or gender perspectives. This means that women leaders, even when occupying top offices or leading national conversations, remain peripheral in mainstream narratives.
When women do make headlines, they are more likely than men to be described using words like “emotional,” “bossy,” or “ambitious”, the latter often laced with suspicion rather than praise. A BBC analysis during the 2019 UK elections found that female MPs received over three times more abusive tweets than their male counterparts, much of it amplified by how their stories were framed online (BBC, 2019).
The invisible standard
What these portrayals reveal is an “invisible standard”, a rigid template of how a leader is expected to speak, dress, and carry authority, usually modelled on male norms. Women are penalised for being too soft or too assertive, too visible or too invisible. Their communication is dissected in ways that men rarely are, and their legitimacy questioned based on tone rather than substance.
This phenomenon, dubbed “the likability trap” by researchers like Dr. Deborah Tannen, explains how women in power often walk a tightrope between competence and warmth. Speak too confidently, and you’re “intimidating.” Speak too calmly, and you’re “unconvincing.” The result is a form of media scrutiny that is based on their tone, appearance, or personality rather than the substance of their ideas or actions.
The impact on aspiration and perception
Why does this matter? Because representation isn’t just about who gets to speak, it’s about who feels seen. When young women rarely see leaders who look like them being portrayed as intelligent, decisive, and capable without also being mocked or diminished, they internalise a narrow view of what leadership can look like.
Women in leadership are more likely to be criticised or laughed at online than men. This has real consequences for political ambition, civic participation, and leadership aspirations, especially in contexts where societal norms are already stacked against women.
Rewriting the script
So how do we disrupt this cycle?
First, media gatekeepers must take responsibility. Journalists, editors, and producers should be trained to recognise and avoid gender bias in their coverage. This includes quoting more women experts, avoiding stereotypes, and holding both men and women to the same standards of critique.
Second, women leaders need platforms that allow them to tell their own stories in their own words. The rise of social media has made it possible to bypass traditional media filters, but this requires intentional strategy, media training, and consistent messaging especially for women in politics and public office.
Finally, media consumers and citizens must become more aware.. Bias is baked into what we read and watch, but with media literacy, we can learn to identify and challenge it.
At WILAN Global, we’ve seen firsthand how powerful communication can be when women own their narratives. Through our programs and platforms like The Leading Woman Show (TLWS), we’re not just preparing women to lead, we’re preparing them to be heard on their own terms.
About The Author
Confidence Chukwuemeka is a multiple award-winning content strategist with over six years of experience crafting impactful marketing campaigns across the nonprofit, fintech, and STEM sectors.
She currently serves as Communications Officer at WILAN Global, where she plays a key role in driving visibility for women’s leadership in Africa. As part of the team behind The Leading Woman Show, she contributed to the production and marketing of Season 3, which recorded 50 million views, a 178% increase from Season 2.
In her previous role as Content Manager at a VC-backed fintech startup, she helped shape the company’s content and SEO strategy, contributing to a 471% funding growth, from $350,000 to $2 million.
Confidence has collaborated on multimillion-naira and dollar campaigns with the Ogun State Government, IHS Towers, Nigerian Breweries, NED, Luminate, and the Gates Foundation. Her strengths lie in strategic communication, brand storytelling, stakeholder engagement, and a strong data-driven approach.
She is also the convener of the Kickstart for Impact Conference, which drew over 400 participants from 8 countries, and managed a team of 30 volunteers.
Confidence thrives where communication drives influence and impact.
