Girls as components | Balkan Perception

In the period of social media and electronic dominance, this patriarchal framework is far more than ever a dominant narrative in lots of spots about the entire world, which include the Western Balkans, where excessive notions of natural beauty and common gendered roles still characterize and restrict women’s participation and representation in society.

Women journalists, both as users of neighborhood and as purveyors of information and details, are not exempt from these discriminatory expectations. Newsrooms, for quite a few various explanations, frequently mirror these norms, positioning the females who operate there as ‘accessories’ – functional objects that have meaning only insofar as males deem it so. 

Marina Ridjic describes her knowledge as a woman journalist, created worse, she feels, by also staying blonde. “I’ve been doing work considering the fact that I was 19 […] I’ve typically read, ‘just go through what is published, you should not try to use your head. You are quite and that is adequate to perform an interview.’ When I was youthful, I applied to react in anger and attempted to get each and every battle. At some stage, you just recognize that you will listen to these kinds of responses all through your lifetime.” 

Alice Taylor instructed us about a colleague, an anchor from Albania, who was envisioned to get lip fillers as section of her work. “She was fundamentally instructed that she experienced to get them. She was advised, ‘Here is the number of the health practitioner that we use, off you go.’” Taylor also informed us about a popular sports activities software exactly where all male presenters put on suits while the women are all in mini-skirts³⁹. Vanja Stokic from Bosnia and Herzegovina has had similar ordeals, but occasionally sees “benefits” of remaining historically eye-catching. Just one resource, in certain, was very explicit. “He told me, ‘when I noticed the way you look, I had to invite you for an interview. Had you been a guy, I would never ever have agreed to have a discussion with you.”

The misogynistic act of minimizing a woman and her worth owing to her physical characteristics is inherently violent, as it denies girls their full humanity. It is not shocking that this style of violence leads directly to on the net abuse and other actual physical manifestations. “When I was attacked in the earlier, there was often a gender component to it. Most of the reviews were being misogynistic, sexist and normally in link to the way I look,” Milka Tadic Mijovic instructed us. Just after becoming focused with online abuse, Stokic identified a internet site wherever end users have been debating (in the context of studies of her abuse) “if the t-shirt I was wearing was nicer than what it was covering (e.g. my entire body). So certainly, there was a gender component.” 

Sexism that establishes women’s value as objects of splendor also results in a perception of entitlement in individuals that subscribe to this framework. In this way, women’s bodies and natural beauty are no more time their personal, but are for the pleasure of all those that look at them – be that an unique, or broader viewers. When Tanja Vujisic was young, politicians utilised to call her to go out for supper with them, and when she refused, would deny her the possibility to job interview them. 

For the duration of an interview, a former minister from Democratic bash commented on the way Zorica Vorgucic, from Kim radio in Kosovo, was dressed. “He asked why I was putting on a red jacket, implying that I help the SPS [political party]. He commented on my looks! It was really disagreeable. Occasionally, it comes about that a male politician or analyst provides himself freedom to strike on me. That has transpired a few of times.” 

For Maja Mojskovski Rasevic, getting guiding the camera was no refuge from flagrant sexism: “‘Why are you guiding the digital camera when you need to be in entrance of it?’, ‘Why are you hiding your wonderful eyes?’ etc.” They then want to know if I am in a position to carry all my tools by myself.”

The objectification of females is not confined to actual physical charm. Almost every single other attribute of women’s working experience – age, career, loved ones situation, and so on. – can be utilised to deny women their comprehensive humanity and contribution to society. Jelka Jovanovic pointed out: “Nobody would tell a male that he is excess fat or unpleasant. But this is something that woman journalists hear all the time. I was called an old hag (“matora”), and I have never ever listened to this said in a adverse way about a person. When you say that a guy is outdated (“onaj matori”) that implies that he has much more encounter.  In the case of gals, it signifies that they are worthless. This is engraved in our lifestyle, and will in no way be adjusted unless of course we start off to unlearn it from kindergarten onwards. ”

Motherhood, in unique, is a double-edged sword for women held up as the pinnacle, although eclipsing all other attributes and identities of holistic womanhood. As earlier resolved, getting a mother (or caretaker) can seriously restrict potential customers for career development and raise occupation insecurity. In addition, females experience sexist hurdles, in the kind of stereotypical roles and attributes linked with motherhood. 

“Once you give beginning, you are destined to be an anchor only, [‘Rodi pa vodi’],” clarifies Marina Ridjic.“It is just about as if following you have provided delivery, you have now supplied enough to culture, so you now get to sense safe positioned in men’s care.” 

Supplied some women’s role in modern society as moms and caregivers, gals journalists are normally relegated entirely to subject areas that deal with these themes. Elida Zylbeari discusses this development, and how it can develop a problematic cycle for news generation. She describes that females are informed to include social problems, which includes difficulties connected to spouse and children and kids, though males go over protests and topics that are characterized by pressure and aggression. She anxieties that girls will lose their ambition to protect certain tales with significant affect, which can, finally, effect the way they shape narratives. 

³⁹ See also: H. Haider, Gender and the media in the Western Balkans, Knowledge, proof and studying for enhancement (K4D) (2020), p.13, 15-17