In a groundbreaking effort to promote the voice of women in the news-gathering and news dissemination process, UNESCO and the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) collaborated in a global research partnership that has culminated in the publishing of a report on women in the news media.

The study represents a set of reliable and comprehensive data on which to make a clear determination about where women currently fit into the news-making operation, decision-making hierarchy and ownership structure of media companies.

The research project was carried out over a two-year period, and sought to offer the most complete picture to date of women's status globally in news media ownership, publishing, governance, reporting, editing, photojournalism, broadcast production and other media jobs. More than 150 researchers interviewed executives at more than 500 companies in 59 countries, using a comprehensive questionnaire.

Overall, the study identified glass ceilings for women in 20 of 59 countries studied, commonly visible in middle and senior management positions. Slightly more than half of the companies sampled have an established company-wide policy on gender equity, ranging from 16 percent of such companies in Eastern Europe to 69 percent in Western and Sub-Saharan Africa.