http://www.arabnews.com/?page=13§ion=0&article=91690&d=3&m=2&y=2007
Saturday, 3, February, 2007 (15, Muharram, 1428)
Arab Media Fail Women and Society
Dania Al-Ghalib . Al-Madinah
Women are all-too-often portrayed in the media as princesses or
housewives obsessed with beauty, fashion, shoes, nose jobs and tummy tucks.
These mass-produced portrayals not only reinforce cultural stereotypes but help
create them for the next generation of women.
Even nonentertainment media, such as news outlets, play a role in
influencing these stereotypes. But media can play a role in changing
perceptions, if there's a will to do so.
Media in the Arab world are not only guilty of the same portrayal of
women, but it's also apathetic toward tackling women's issues. When women's
issues are covered in the news, they are often superficial stories or stories
about family issues, homemaking or leisure. Perhaps this negligence on the part
of the Arab media is because, for the most part, the woman's role is relegated
to being a heavily coiffed talking head sitting behind a desk or in front of a
weather map on television. When more programming directors are women, women's
issues will be taken more seriously and get more prominence.
The woman is defined today (not just in the Arab world) by her looks and
appearances and not by her humanitarian characteristics, skills or
qualifications.
And generation after generation of women are naturalized to believe that
her self-worth is based wholly on her appearance and ability to adhere to the
feminine and often infantile or prurient ideals crafted entirely by men.
When it comes to advertising, it's a woman's world: her sexuality is
exploited to sell products. She appears in movies, television serials, and
commercials as an object of physical desire. In these depictions, the woman's
intellectual capacity and sense of morals and values are not just irrelevant,
but often portrayed as unattractive or unappealing.
A report issued recently by the Center for Arab Women Training and
Research (CAWTAR) in Tunisia gave a failing grade to Arab media outlets in
terms of addressing women's rights. The report said most media coverage in the
region portrayed women in a negative way, as superficial, obsessed with
shopping and personal physical appearance, even untrustworthy and lacking in
self-control.
We must change this gloomy image and start to focus more on the woman's
capabilities in contributing to a better Middle East for all. A woman is as
much a part of society as she is part of the family and her contributions to
advancement and productivity must be recognized and utilized.
It's not fair to present women as shallow superficial entities that care
about nothing but plastic surgery and beauty products. A woman is a mother, a
wife, a sister and a daughter - and in Saudi Arabia she's more likely than a
Saudi man to be in college, by the way. Her talents and her input must be
appreciated and used
