Why the lifestyle desk strives to report on young female activists making change

It is crucial that journalists amplify and recognise the increasing efforts from women activists looking to the future and changing the landscape of the world

As a journalist who has primarily worked on women’s magazines over the years, I have made it my mission to focus on news aiming to empower young girls and women, and in my role as assistant lifestyle editor at The Independent, this is no different.

On some days, this may involve interviewing women achieving amazing things against all odds, such as sailor Tracy Edwards, who skippered the first all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race. On others, it may encompass teasing out the top line from feminist speeches courtesy of the Duchess of Sussex and actor Brie Larson.

But such devoted attention to covering inspiring women is not always the norm in the media.

According to research carried out by the industry body Women in Journalism in 2012, sexist stereotypes and degrading photographs of women reigned supreme on the front pages of the most popular British broadsheets during the month it analysed. The same study found that not a single female politician or leader in the top 10 images were used during the same period.

It’s for this reason why, this week, we covered women’s education activist Malala Yousafzai’s recent speech on the importance of supporting women who may not have access to education. And Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in light of her work pioneering work against climate change. It is because of Thunberg that more than 100 countries took part in the #FridaysForFuture protest last week.

We also reported on Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke about how it can be “empowering” to tell people to make fun of her, as doing so makes her critics look “childish”. And actor Evan Rachel Wood, who shared her own experiences of domestic abuse on Instagram using the hashtag “#IAmNotOk” to inspire other survivors to share their stories.

On the Lifestyle desk, we refuse to report on hearsay or salacious news that demeans or objectifies women. Rather, we want to produce women’s interest stories that galvanise readers into action or broaden their understanding of a subject.

In order to keep the ripples of International Women’s Day rumbling, it is crucial that journalists amplify and recognise the increasing efforts from women activists looking to the future and changing the landscape of the world.

If you read one of our articles and you feel educated, impassioned, inspired or even outraged and, as a result, empowered to make change to help achieve gender parity, then we have succeeded.

Yours,

Katie O’Malley

Assistant lifestyle editor