Tokyo:Women's representation in media is not translating into equal access to leadership positions, as structural barriers, workplace assumptions, and evolving technology continue to shape their career trajectories, according to speakers at a panel discussion in Tokyo.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the FIBEP World Media Intelligence Congress 2026 featured a session titled 'Leading the Story: Women Shaping the Future of Media,' where Nahar Khan, Executive Editor of United News of Bangladesh and Founder of Solis, alongside Japan-based freelance writer Louise George Kittaka, discussed the challenges women face in advancing to senior positions. They emphasized the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for future career pathways and the need to convert mere representation into meaningful opportunities.
Nahar Khan called for newsrooms to redesign their professional development and leadership pipelines to ensure young journalists continue acquiring essential skills, even as AI takes over some traditional tasks. She suggested initiatives such as structured editorial apprenticeships and supervised investigative assignments to prepare the next generation of media professionals. Khan stressed the importance of maintaining human judgment and editorial responsibility central to reporting, even as technology supports journalistic work.
Louise George Kittaka highlighted that the issue is not a lack of ambition among women but the failure of organizations to recognize and support their leadership potential. She noted that many women enter the media and communications sectors in Japan but face barriers at critical stages of professional growth. A recent interview with a DEI consultant revealed that once women were given opportunities to interact with senior executives and asked about their career ambitions, the proportion of women seeking promotion significantly increased.
Both speakers addressed the impact of AI on entry-level media jobs, cautioning that automating routine tasks could overlook vital learning opportunities. Kittaka noted that the tasks of researching background information and preparing interview briefs, though routine, help young journalists develop professional judgment and essential media skills.
The panel also discussed the challenges of balancing family responsibilities with professional advancement. While Japan offers generous support for working parents, cultural work norms can hinder women's full career resumption post-leave. Kittaka emphasized the need for policies that support working parents without damaging careers, as well as the importance of eldercare responsibilities that still largely fall on women in Japan.
Finally, both Khan and Kittaka stressed the role of mentorship and sponsorship in advancing women into leadership positions. They distinguished mentorship as providing guidance, while sponsorship involves advocacy and creating opportunities. They called for men to be actively involved in such initiatives to ensure that advancing women's leadership is a shared responsibility.
FIBEP, which represents over 120 corporate members from 50 countries, focused on the theme "KAIZEN: Continuous Improvement for a New Era" at the World Media Intelligence Congress (WMIC 2026) held in Tokyo.