Analysing media representations of violence against women
The prevalence of violence against women has been increasingly recognised as a momentous, undermined human rights violation largely correspondent to its lack of coverage and insufficient media representation. Globally, an estimated 736 million women have been subjected to intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life. Unfortunately, regardless of such alarmingly high figures, violence against women remains highly unreported nor effectively acted upon as a result of traditional stigma, stereotypes, guilt and shame surrounding the issue.
According to the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women issued by the UN General Assembly in 1993, violence against women can be defined as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life”.
The prevention of violence against women encompasses multiple facets, yet in recent emergences of promising strategies it can be significantly precluded. Such evidence-based data highlights the inherent need to defy cultural and social norms which permit violence against women. Gathered from these findings, traditional news and informative media sources entail a crucial role in setting boundaries and raising awareness for violence against women via its portrayal. Seemingly, media representations have the ability to reach individuals within society on a widespread scale, ultimately holding the power to recognise, educate and advocate against the preventable public health inequity, globally.
Social media is a powerful platform which holds the power to prevent and eductate society of violence against women. Based off evidence-based research collected by the World Health Organisation, social media movements have the capacity to further precisely emulate the reality of women’s encounters with violence. The Me Too movement which was first coined in 2006, is an effective social change movement organised and acted out via social media.
Reporting surrounding the #MeToo campaign has proved substantially effective. It has opened the online networked writing space as a safe place for survivors of violence to share their experiences and unite as a powerful force to prevent it happening to other women worldwide. As the campaign is primarily based online, females have disclosure essentially allowing survivors to seek support and act in solidarity with each other. It can help survivors to recognise their own experiences and realise they are not alone.
Moreover, new media forms are a colossal element in primary prevention due to its potent societal influence. Media representations impose a vital status in instituting the public agenda on the issue.
As stated by Malcom X
“The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.”
When represented correctly, the media has the dominion to end detrimental stereotypes such as “its weak to speak” and correct the propaganda of violence against women which is protrusive throughout the media. News media, specifically, bears the greatest role in moulding public discourse surrounding the issue. As news media reports on current events and societal affairs, it holds significant entity regarding public knowledge.
The first step in regulating public understanding can be implemented within news media by merely exposing the problem of violence against women. In doing so, they allow the matter to be recognised as a problematic act that may be feasibly prevented. As it is evident media representation play a key role in the primary prevention of the issue, understanding how media platforms adapt over time is crucial. Fundamentally, the media is the fastest changing and evolving industry to date. It is imperative the nature of these rapid changes are understood to ensure successful future engagement strategies are conveyed.
Strategies to raise awareness and outline the issue must continue to adapt and evolve to suit remediated versions of the media. As new media is absorbed digitally and in the moment, the way that media influence is conveyed has changed.
Due to remediated social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, the media landscape has shifted and how matters are addressed and projected have adapted. As society continues to evolve, media forms will become dynamic and progress. New media platforms will increasingly continue to influence how audiences receive and act upon violence against women communication.
In the words of former Australian of the year, Rosie Batty
‘the media is uniquely placed to stop violence before it starts’
The NSW Government have successfully used online campaigns to promote ending violence against women. Stop it before it starts, a prevention and early management stratery introduced in the past decade, has significantly illuminated gender barrier issues.
The third launch of the Stop it at the Start campaign was launched by The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, and the Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator the Hon Anne Ruston on International Women’s Day, Monday 8 March 2021. Their aim is ultimately to help break the cycle of violence by encouraging adults to reflect on their attitudes, and have conversations about respect with young people. The campaign also incorporates numerous photos, videos as well as stats and figures outlining the depths of the issue.
When presented effectively, media platforms have the ability to illustrate women’s experiences and prevent future occurrences. Further, mediated representations of violence against women within mainstream media sources are frequent, allowing immense opportunity to raise public awareness and accurately articulate gender stereotypes in connection with both cause and consequence. Essentially, the media plays a critical role in reinforcing or reconstructing societal views regarding violence against women. With the allowance of digital writing ecologies through remediated media sources, reportage and prevention of violence against women is finally gaining the recognition it NEEDS.
