The world needs brave and confident women so that, as half of humankind and a vital force, they can pave the way towards a good and equitable future for us all.
As a broad coalition of media and allies, we want to support this change. There is still a lack of good practice in the media, and we want to continue to inspire writing about women in a way that strives for gender equality. Therefore, we call for action to stop the shaming of women and the dissemination of news that humiliates them, leads to their objectification, silences them, undervalues their skills and opinions, destroys their reputation, forces them to adjust. Ultimately, it makes them feel powerless and they withdraw from society.
Shaming and thereby belittling women has been a powerful cultural practice for long enough. Women have been demonised, blamed and denigrated in many areas of life. Patriarchal rules have dictated their way of life for thousands of years - from determining what clothes they can wear, what they can study, what professions they can pursue, how they must behave in the workplace, to undermining their bodily autonomy, judging and often depreciating their behaviour.
Shaming is a fast-growing, global and dangerous phenomenon, especially on social media. There, hate speech, bullying, misogynist and sexist language are most often faced by women. They are also shamed more often than men.
This form of violence against women perpetuates and exacerbates gender inequality, with the mental health and self-esteem of young and teenage girls being most affected. Women have been socially shaped to be particularly susceptible to being judged, but they are also the recipients of much harsher criticism. Unfortunately, hurtful and judgemental comments often start with media coverage, articles criticising women, their appearance, interests, life choices and other alleged transgressions. Our editorial board clearly condemns all of the above.
Unrealistic and unfair expectations are often imposed on women. This doesn't provide a complete and accurate portrayal of them. In many cases, it's driven by the desire to increase website traffic or to monetise women's vulnerabilities in the digital age.
We strongly oppose censorship, but we also believe in portraying women objectively and respectfully. It's important to present facts and opinions without causing offence. When writing about women, we strive for balance while refusing to tolerate sexist hate speech. Freedom of expression isn't an absolute right; it's interconnected with other rights. Gender equality and freedom of expression are both essential human rights and should be viewed as complementary, not conflicting.
Any statement intended to disrespect women, treat them as inferior, or reduce their identity to their sexuality is unacceptable. We do not tolerate shaming, offensive comments, false compliments or alleged jokes used to belittle and mock women.
Therefore, we declare that we will not comment in this way on:
- women's appearance (beauty, figure, weight, skin, hair, etc.) and describe changes resulting from natural predispositions or different life situations (e.g. pregnancy, illness, menopause, ageing), keeping our content in a body positive spirit;
- women's life choices (regarding work, relationships, motherhood, etc.) and interests;
- women's value systems;
- women’s age - especially emphasising it in the titles of the articles and confronting it with women’s appearance.
We also think it's time to put an end to how women are often depicted in the media, pitted against each other in a competitive and confrontational way. These portrayals foster a sense that women are in constant competition in their daily lives, work, and relationships. Instead, women wish to stand together as a team, supporting each other's choices and showing love without passing judgment.
We want to end the shaming of women, as we clearly see that it has been constructed as a tool to silence their voices and limit their participation in public spaces. We want to eradicate gender stereotypes and unleash the full potential of women - for the benefit of society as a whole.
We are convinced that how we speak and write matters and can change reality. Join us! Let's make a collective effort to empower women.