Gender, abortion and substantive representation in the South African newsprint media

•We compare the substantive and descriptive representation of women regarding abortion in the South African newsprint media.•A bifurcation of positions taken by male and female commentators represented in the newsprint media is identified.•It is found that female commentators consistently assume a pro-choice position before and after political and legislative transformation.•The stance taken by male commentators shifts from neutral (before transformation) to a largely pro-life stance afterward.

SynopsisDemocratisation and abortion legislation transformation in South Africa provided a unique opportunity to reflect on the descriptive and substantive representation of women regarding abortion in the newsprint media. Using Celis and Childs' (2012) inductive approach, we conducted a content analysis of newspaper articles on abortion from 1978 to 2005 answering: ‘Who is called upon to comment on abortion issues?’; ‘From what position do these commentators contribute to the discussion?’; ‘What changes emerged around the transition to democracy?’ Our analysis revealed the distinctly gendered nature of substantive representation of abortion in the newsprint media, including: a bifurcation of positions taken by male and female commentators, with around two-thirds of women commentators substantively representing women through a pro-choice position; a consistency in the percentage of female commentators taking this position both before and after democratisation; and the socio-political changes shifting male commentators' perspectives from neutral or unstated positions to, mostly, a pro-life position.