| The meeting established thematic
working groups.
MISA-Lesotho was charged with the responsibility of heading the working
group that would monitor print media reports for insensitive language
use in areas of gender-based violence, gender equality, HIV and AIDS.
the thematic working and other groups suffered a communication breakdown
and MISA Lesotho continued the project under Programme D on Media Support
Activities of the MISA Strategic Partnership Programme, on gender, HIV
and AIDS mainstreaming into the MISA Programme of Action.
This report is a summary of the monitoring of local print media reports
undertaken by MISA-Lesotho from May to December 2004.
Media reports on gender based violence
During the monitoring period, fewer than ten articles on gender based
violence were recorded. However, the monitoring group has reported an
observation of an increase in coverage during the global ‘16 days
of activism against gender based violence. Articles reported mainly incidents
of sexual assaults carried out on girl children and women.
The Public Eye newspaper of July 30 2004 , carries a news article from
the government owned Lesotho News Agency (LENA). The article, headline ‘Brother
in court for raping sister' is a news item, presenting the facts as heard
in a court case. Highlighted by the article is the plight faced by victims
of sexual assaults.
Quoting a public prosecutor the reporter writes “Mr Motsamai said
in some cases, victims were afraid to disclose the names of their assailants
for fear of being killed, while others felt that they might be blamed
for the incidences”.
The Public Eye newspaper of June 25 2004 carried a feature article on
home based violence. The feature titled “Domestic violence a primitive
reaction' takes an analytical look at the possible causes of home based
violence as seen by ordinary people.
The analysis includes excerpts of interviews conducted worldwide. “No
matter how a man is angry or offended he should not lose his senses but
rather behave wisely by controlling his tempers and find an amicable
way to sort things out “ says one interviewee from Russia. “…most
victims are very aware of the danger of abusive relationships, but what
is a woman to do if she lacks the economic resources and self-esteem
to leave an abusive man.
Frankly I think that African women are just as victims of culture more
than anything else-a culture that is used against them in several different
ways”, says another interviewee from Zimbabwe .
The article provides statistical information which is said to be from “a
worldwide survey by the British Broadcasting Corporation monitored by
Public Eye…that one in three women worldwide have been beaten,
coerced into sex or abused in their lifetime.
Key Findings
The above two instances of reports on gender based violence point to
situations that have to be redressed by vigorous campaigns on the part
of the media working together with other stakeholders.
The perception that if an abusive partner is economically and physically
stronger than the other, then all manner of abuse must be tolerated and
kept hidden is wrong and life threatening. Abusers must be made accountable.
Victims of sexual assaults and other violence are not in the wrong and
do not ask to be violated. The fear of disclosure of perpetrators must
be removed. Perpetrators must not be protected, no matter their standing
in society, communities or within families.
These are the messages that have to come across in reports on gender
based violence. To this end, the media have to involve themselves in
campaigns undertaken by other stakeholders. The media have to take issues
further than simply reporting incidents of violence and violations.
They have to know the impacts including increased vulnerability to the
contraction of HIV, a decrease in the ability to earn a living as a result
of psychological and physical distress. These are scenarios that impact
adversely on the socio-economic state of the country. Read
more
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