The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights today lodged complaints to the Council of Media Ethics against the portals expres.mk and vistina.com.mk on the grounds of gender.
In spite of all appeals to the media not to broadcast sexist reports without criticizing them, some media and journalists themselves are a source of disturbing and misogynistic statements.
Rather than combating discrimination and negative phenomena in public discourse, they directly contribute to creating an atmosphere that mocks women’s participation in public life and women in general. Such reporting creates a hostile and humiliating environment for all women.
On the Facebook profile of the journalist Ljupco Zlatev one can read a posted message aimed at the special prosecutor Fatime Fetai, with the intention of hurting her dignity and discrediting her professionalism using chauvinistic and misogynistic speech. Mentioning her place of residence in a negative context with which he emphasizes the subjugation of women, the “parochialism” allegedly imposed by her and the violence typical of the rural environment, the journalist in his speech discriminates all women who do not live or do not come from the urban environment. Even more worrying is that besides the rural character of the environment, it is an environment in which the Albanian population lives, so Zlatev indicates that violence against women is a practice in these areas.
Along the same lines are the articles in the portals expres.mk and vistina.com.mk which comment on the composition of the new cabinet minister. Following the unacceptable statements made by VMRO-DPMNE spokesman about Nina Angelovska’s election, these media posted derogatory comments about Anna Maria Makeska, Social Media and Public Relations Coordinator at the Ministry of Finance. Commenting on her physical appearance in order to discredit her professionalism, they discriminate against all women by downplaying their working abilities.
We strongly condemn such reports and the creation of texts and statements that place women in subordinate positions and violate the principle of equality between men and women.
We urge the Commission for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination, in accordance with its legal competences, to initiate a procedure for protection against discrimination while conducting official duty and to determine sex and gender-based harassment.
We call on the Council of Media Ethics and the Association of Journalists to strongly condemn such reporting and such statements by journalists, as well as to appeal for respect of human rights and freedoms.
—————————————————
19 September 2019