Serbian Media Lead the Way in Incorrect Treatment of Women

20 December 2006

The discrimination of women is most dominant in Serbian print media, shows a survey of stereotypes, manners and strategies for discrimination of women in print media in SEE, conducted by the MediaCentre Sarajevo. The survey covered the daily press in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania and Serbia.

According to the results, the women in Serbian media were presented incorrectly in 24.9 percent of all cases, compared with 20.9 percent in Croatia and 20.2 percent in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Tamara Skrozza, the Coordinator of Women Section of NUNS (Independent Association of Journalists in Serbia), said at the presentation of the miscellany Stereotypes: Presentation of Women in Print Media in SEE, said that �Politika� leads the way among Serbian media, with 35.91 percent of incorrect texts.

The general conclusion is that media promote social inequality of men and women. Also, all media should change their approach to women, to stop treating them as sexual objects, respect political equality and put an end to female inferiority.

The survey shows that men are present in 80 percent of media coverage. Furthermore, they are five times more likely to be asked for comments on various issues. Women, on the other hand, are likely to be asked for opinion on issues concerning entertainment, fashion and nudity. Ninety percent of the experts consulted by the media are men.

The stereotypes are almost identical in all countries in the region. Another cause of concern is the fact that the women are gravely underrepresented in leading positions and at higher levels of decision-making in the media, said Marina Blagojevic. In her view, the transformation of media in Serbia was conducted in times of war, and commercialization has grown to the extent that any change is slow and difficult.

Svenka Savic, one of the participants in the survey said that sexism, stereotypes and exclusion of women from decision making processes were registered in all six countries included in the survey.