"This book presents the outcome of five case-studies carried out within Unesco's programme on the Contribution of the Media to Promoting Equality between Women and Men and Strengthening Women's Access to and Participation in Communication. More specifically, it forms part of an action centred on the Training, Recruitment and Advancement of Women in the Communication Professions. The case-studies on professional women in broadcasting deal with five countries located in both the developing and developed world: Canada, Egypt, Ecuador, India and Nigeria. One of the major preoccupations of Unesco's programme is to increase the access of women to decision-making positions. The obstacles to the movement of women into management and decision-making positions are particularly felt in the field of communication. A comparative analysis of the key issues, personnel policies and practices of five broadcasting organizations in different regions of the world not only furnishes a critique of current policies concerning women but offers proposals for action which could help to overcome barriers to women's access to high-level posts in the media." (Preface)