Yemisi Izuora
Experts in the media industry have cautioned practitioners in the Online media space to desist from projecting and promoting gender related hate speech.
Lanre Arogundade, director International Press Center, IPC, in his remarks at a round table on the role of the media in combating gender related hate speech Online through objective and conflict sensitive reporting, sponsored by PEACE TECH LAB in Lagos, said the round table discussion became imperative based on the conclusion of the findings of a recent survey, to further engage bloggers and users of social media platforms on the role of the media in combating gender related hate speech online, through objective and conflict sensitive reporting, in order to enhance the participation of women in political governance.
Arogundade, despite the immense benefits that digital connectivity and the increasing availability of the use of Internet and social media platforms have delivered, online media has led to the growing occurrences of sexist hate speechduring elections and therefore has opened the doors to new forms of oppression and violence against women politicians. If such trend is allowed to continue, online spaces could widen sex and gender based discrimination.
According to him, a research by Amnesty International revealed the alarming impact that abuse and harassment on social media are having on women, with women around the world reporting stress, anxiety, or panic attacks as a result of these harmful online experiences and in so doingrestricting the already limited public space afforded to women politicians.
He therefore challenged practitioners to take advantage of the roundtable to enhance their capacity by using online media for fair, balanced, language sensitive and conflict sensitive reportage towards promoting counter narratives for inclusive and peaceful political participation that will enhance more participation of women in politics ahead the 2019 elections.
In her speech, Yinka Shokumbi, Editor, Health Style Plus Online observed that for so long, reporting issues around women, in the media, especially those who serve in public space, have never been a tea party.
Shokumbi recalled that as far back as mid – 90s, September 1995 to be precise, when the World fourth conference on women, known as Beijing conference was held, the world had adopted certain agenda to deal with the issues of women.
The Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, she said adopted unanimously by 189 countries, an agenda for women’s empowerment and considered the key global policy document on gender equality.
“It was indeed for the first time the world came to acknowledge that women’s right are human rights and must so be treated.
Hence the narratives in conversations that affect women assumed the new gender-based level.
In the development circle, defining gender is not categorically about your sex but is seen as the state of being male or female (typically, used with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones) and of recent, intersex (neither man nor woman-X-gender or transgender etc). That is why you may get to a public restroom outside this country and see symbols that are different from what you are used to M or F”.
The Beijing Agenda specifically sets strategic objectives and actions for the advancement of women and the achievement of gender equality in 12 critical areas of concern which include:
Women and poverty: In other words, women have been known to characterize the high level of poverty in most countries of the world. Whenever there is the need to show the face of poverty, its often the picture of a woman beaten out by disease and violence. Yes, women bear the brunt of poverty the most; but the narrative need to explore how women who are empowered are changing the world today. Perhaps what Beijing agenda has achieved since 1995 is captured in the agenda that the eradication of poverty cannot be accomplished through anti-poverty programmes alone but will require democratic participation and changes in economic structures in order to ensure access for all women to resources, opportunities and public services and that economic performance must be from gender perspective among others.
· Education and training of women: The narratives equally changed on access to inclusive and equitable quality education without prejudices and discrimination based on gender. The strategy as being reinforced in the SDGs demands for safe school and veritable friendly environment for the girl-child to access education with curriculum that provides life-saving skills to empower the girl-child to make informed decisions beyond just formal education. The SDGs supports lifelong education for women. So when media is reporting it needs to be mindful that every day, new opportunities are opened for learning and women must be recognized for the process.
·Women and health: Increase women’s access throughout the life cycle to appropriate, affordable and quality health care, information and related services. Give equal opportunities to women to leadership positions in heath profession among others.
· Violence against women: On this agenda, media reporting of GBV is expected to take broader look at the vulnerability of women and girls to various forms of violence especially on issues around sexual exploitation, rape, of trafficking and CSW and various degrees of human rights abuses which thrive where women are less empowered to take decisions. Where women are victims of trafficking, offenders caught are to be punished to serve as deterrent. Rather than report women as greedy, reports should centre on the dominating nature of culture which take advantage of poor education level of many women and so, advocacy must be on how the country nay world would be a better place with more girls’ education.
In his goodwill message delivered on behalf of Humanity Family Foundation for Peace and Development (HUFFPED), Henry Adenigba, Executive Director (Programs), stressed the need for equity in reporting which he said is the cornerstone of human rights.
Adenigba, observed that hate speech and propaganda are present in all societies in varying degrees and intensity which affects and undermines the right of the targeted person to equality and freedom from discrimination.
When it is unchecked, he continued hate speech can lead to disaster, as it promotes prejudice and hate, which in time can undermine the roots of society, create a divide between societal groups and eventually lead to deep divides in the social cohesion.
“Nazi Germany is a striking example as well as former Yugoslavia, where media, ruled by opposing groups, spewed hatred against national minority groups which escalated the conflict and finally lead to mass murder.
The genocide in Rwanda is also a striking example of the effect and consequences of hate speech. In recent years, the number of hate sites (fora) has drastically increased and social media, such as Facebook and Twitter have further added to this evolution. Most people do not realise that a few words on Facebook or Twitter can sow a seed or an idea in the mind of someone who already has negative views or dangerous thoughts against specific groups or individuals”, he recalled.
Speaking further Adenigba said that gender sensitive/Sexist hate speech is often treated as a harmless and non-serious issue and women are explicitly or implicitly told to bear with it, adding however that not only does sexist hate speech undermine freedom of speech for women and girls, but its psychological, emotional and/or physical impacts are real and severe.
“The aim of sexist hate speech is to humiliate or objectify women, to undervalue their skills and opinions, to destroy their reputation, to make them feel vulnerable and fearful, and to control and punish them for not following a certain behaviour. Sexist hate speech has the effect of silencing women, obliging them to adapt their behaviour and limit their movements and participation in diverse human activities.
Sexist hate speech needs to be addressed by all stakeholders, including the media, the public, international organisations, law enforcement and other actors of the justice system, the private sector and civil society. In doing this, a balance must be found in providing a platform for free speech without tolerating sexist hate speech”, he said.