A former Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Femi Adesina, has decried prejudice against women (Misogyny), saying that it was anti-social and ungodly.
By Christiana Fadare
A former Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Femi Adesina, has decried prejudice against women (Misogyny), saying that it was anti-social and ungodly.
He said this on Thursday in Lagos at the public presentation of a report titled: “Trends and Contexts of Misogyny and Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria”.
The report was presented by the Journalists for Christ (JFC), a faith-based, non-governmental media organisation.
As the JFC Board Chairman and Special Guest of Honour at the event, Adesina, said he was intrigued by the report on misogyny, and wanted to read it to see its various dimensions and recommendations.
“The Bible says, “The Lord gave the word and great was the company of those that published it.
“I want to encourage us to publish this kind of report so that those who are guilty and involved will know that what they are doing is anti-social and also ungodly.
“Since God created humanity and He loved everyone, why should some people decide to hate some other creatures?
“We can see Africa today; we see the LGBTQ and a lot of messy things; we should not wait till those things come to our neck of the woods here in Africa.
“That is why it is important that we take this kind of report seriously,” Adesina said.
Ms. Blessing Oladunjoye, the Project Support Officer, JFC, explained that gender-based violence (GBV) had transcended physical barriers, and was now manifesting on various technological platforms.
Oladunjoye said these manifestations of GBV online were a result of advancements in the use of technology and digital devices.
“As the digital spaces for communication expand across media platforms, so has the infringement, repression and oppression of the communication rights of women and girls translated from the traditional forms of physical violence to digital spaces.
“It manifests as Online Gender-Based Violence (OGBV), otherwise known as Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV).
“Consequently, perpetrators now use social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram among others, as platforms to perpetrate forms of violence against women.
“Some common forms of TFGBV include cyberbullying, doxing, online sexual harassment, sexting, trolling, and revenge porn,” she said.
The JFC project officer defined TFGBV as derived from GBV, but different in that it was perpetrated through online means and includes unwanted sexual remarks and non-consensual posting of sexual images or videos.
She said that misogyny was defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as hatred of, aversion to, or prejudice against women, adding that internetmatters.org said that it was found in videos, images, and forums or comment sections.
Oladunjoye said that misogyny included name-calling or use of slur language suggesting that women are lesser than men, or use of vulgar images or photos and content that puts women down.
Also speaking at the presentation, Mr Gbenga Adefaye, the Provost, Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), expressed curiosity and interest in reading the report.
He said that he was particularly interested, “to reflect on whether he was a misogynist or not, as some of us could be unconscious and not deliberate misogynists”.
“I see women I have worked with not by the length of their trousers, but as either good reporters or great editors. I also get embarrassed when women limit themselves to the women’s desk or children’s pages.
“Furthermore, I have always been supported by women. When I was in Vanguard, a woman was the head of administration while another was in charge of finance.
“Now, in NIJ, a woman is the registrar and another woman is in charge of money.
“So, I am interested. I want the report published so I can read it and learn,’’ Adefaye said.
On her part, the JFC Gender and Advocacy Initiatives Expert, Mrs Funmi Falobi, said that misogyny had negative effects on women.
“It aims to reduce women’s contribution and participation in society. It causes them psychological harm, leads to a defeatist attitude, limits women’s potential, gives them low self-esteem, and destroys their ambition.
“It can also limit women to a stereotype, leads to depression, suicidal thoughts and stigmatisation,” she said.
Falobi noted that the fight against misogyny and TFGBV involved stakeholders, policymakers, lawmakers, management of institutions, and media, among others.
She said that response to misogyny involved helping men understand the issues and sensitising the boy-child early on how to treat girls and the appropriate language to use on them.
The gender advocate also urged victims to engage in online support networks, adding that religious leaders and media are important in the change process and in promoting counter-narratives.
The Chief Host and JFC Founder, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin, appreciated the funding support of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) and Bread for the World.
He said that the project, entitled “Countering Misogyny and Online Gender-Based Violence through Monitoring, Digital Counter-narratives and Advocacy Actions”, was being implemented by JFC Nigeria in collaboration with WACC Africa Region.
“Our projects are aimed at promoting human rights, and in these 16 Days of Activism to promote women’s rights.
“It is important as journalists to find networks to belong to that share our values because it will help promote our work,” he said.
Otufodunrin acknowledged the efforts of the 20 volunteers who were instrumental in monitoring the social media platforms and tracking over 500 possible links on the subject matter.
He also thanked the volunteers for the additional tasks of sorting the relevant links from the social media monitoring. (NAN)
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