Declarations

The South East Media Organisation (SEEMO), following discussions during the conference “Women, Men and Media” - held in Sarajevo on 13-16 December 2009 - has come to the following conclusions:

1. Despite a relatively good legal framework protecting and promoting gender balance, there is still a bias in favour of men in South East and Central European societies in general, and in the media in particular.

2. In the media, there are still too few female journalists in top positions, including female media managers. Women working as journalists are frowned upon in some societies – which forces them to give up their profession after getting married. After starting a family, many women experience difficulties when deciding to go back to work. They often end up working part-time or as a freelancer - making them more vulnerable.

3. The lack of gender sensitivity in the media is evident in the failure to eliminate gender-based stereotyping. Gender stereotypes, especially in advertising and in the news, are regularly apparent. The image of the woman as a sexual object is still present in the social mindset and is reflected by the media in different ways. It is very often misused – even in news programmes.

4. Gender-based TV or radio programmes and shows are very often made for legal reasons and to respect the use of gender standards, but not as interesting programmes for the viewers, especially women.

5. Media reports about abused women / sexual violence still remain taboo in countries with strong religious influence /  influence of tradition.

6. All kinds of violence against women, including human trafficking, family violence and forced prostitution, often remain invisible for the audience.

7. Media reporting about violence against women, including human trafficking, family violence and forced prostitution, are not always respecting professional standards.

8. Depiction of the female body and female sexuality are very often subordinated to a sexist and sexual perspective.

9. Sexual harassment at work remains a problem in the SEE region. Cases in which women journalist are discriminated against because of their appearance or unwillingness to respond to the sexual desires of their male superiors are still a reality. In many cases sex appeal is a requirement for applying for a job, and can actually be more highly valued than professional skills.

Part II

Recommendations

1. Governmental and nongovernmental organizations, as well as the media, should support all efforts towards the equal participation of women and men in all spheres of life including the media, as a crucial element of democracy. All employment positions in the media, including leadership positions, should be open to women regardless of their political, sexual, religious or national affiliation.
   
   
2. It is important for the media to promote gender equality in the working environment and in their representation of women in the workforce. Therefore, paternity leave should be linked to maternity leave to better protect the women on the labour market.
   
   
3. The continued projection of negative and degrading images of women in media communications, whether electronic, print or audio, must be changed. Editors for media outlets targeting women audiences should broaden their content and consider the message that is sent by exclusively covering diets, make-up, fashion, cookery and horoscopes and other content that primarily sexualizes women. Female journalists should be able to cover not only ‘soft’ subjects (e.g. social issues, the family, the arts) but also more ‘hard’ news’. Women should not be forced to work harder than men to prove they are capable of the same jobs. The media can contribute to changing the image of women as sexual objects by altering their attitude as well as their approach. Women should be empowered by being allowed to enhance their skills, knowledge and access to information technology. This will strengthen their ability to combat negative portrayals of women internationally.
   
   
4. The media needs to create a self-regulatory mechanism, which should be empowered to address gender-based programming and promote a balanced and non-stereotyped portrayal of women in the media. Parallel to this, the government should institute measures including appropriate legislation against pornography and the normalization of violence against women and children in the media.
   
   
5. Media owners, editors and publishers should encourage journalists to cover violations against women such as forced prostitution, rape and domestic violence. We stress that covering such issues requires professional reporting skills and discretion.
   
   
6. Media should continue to contribute to the prevention of human rights violations, giving the issue added visibility through the publication of investigative reports. Further we stress that society, politicians and institutions should unite their efforts against human rights violations, including through legislation. Last but not least we stress that appropriate investments are needed to deal with an issue as serious as human rights violations.
   
   
7. We stress that media reports should focus on fundamental problems such as unemployment, lack of education and social exclusion, which are linked to violence against women. Revealing this link is crucial to altering perceptions of violence against women and to removing prejudices and stigmas.
   
   
8. The media should fight against the misuse of women’s bodies and women’s sexuality especially in advertising.
   
   
9. Male colleagues and male supervisors should be sensitive to which behaviours constitute sexual harassment or could be perceived as a sexual advance by their female colleagues. Such behaviour should be regarded as abnormal and prevented from happening. Women journalists should be encouraged to report cases of sexual harassment without fear of repercussions such as losing their position.