5. Media and VAW
The media can play an important role in how mindsets regarding VAW are shaped and should report these cases more responsibly.
The Global Pluralism Monitor reports emphasize the critical role of responsible media reporting. Media shapes public perception on polarizing issues and can perpetuate harmful narratives, including those about violence against women (VAW). Reports from Ghana, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mexico, and South Africa highlight trends such as sensationalizing VAW, underreporting, especially for Indigenous or ethnic minority women, and failing to connect VAW to broader gender norms and root causes.
© 2018 Fred Murphy
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, women’s issues receive only 13-15% of news coverage. In Canada, missing and murdered Indigenous women receive significantly less coverage than their white counterparts, with their murders often attributed to factors like prostitution or addiction rather than colonialism or racism. The Ghana report notes a lack of context in VAW coverage, missing opportunities to educate the public.
By collaborating with survivors and accurately sharing their experiences, the media can help address and mitigate VAW.
Explore the other trends:
1. VAW and Commitments
The signing of international treaties on women’s rights has, in most contexts, done little for eliminating violence against women.
2. VAW and Social Norms
Patriarchal values and cultures of misogyny are some of the main contributors to violence against women.
3. Violence against Women in Politics
Equal participation of women in government has not resulted in reduced VAW and even translate into rising targeting of women in politics.
4. Violence Against Indigenous Women
Where there are Indigenous peoples, violence against Indigenous women is widespread and seldom addressed.