By ProChange member Hanna, SSH Correspondents
For better understanding of this post, German television is divided in public and private channels. The private channels are financed by adverts and the public ones by GEZ- fees. The public ones have the task by law to inform and educate.
Some weeks ago we drew up a petition on openpetion.de : “For our GEZ- fees: Our demands regarding the sexism debate.” After some time we united with initiators of another petition on change.org : “public and private channels: start to clear up the topic of sexism in our society in an appropriate way!”
The reason: We have the same aim and we want to give our demands more voice.
More than 1800 people signed by now to request the public TV channels to report and inform about the sexism in our society in an adequate manner. We will contact the directors and the television council as well to ask them for a statement. But we will not take down our petition so it can still be signed.
Our petition to the public channels:
For our GEZ- fees:
Public channels: Start to clear up the topic of sexism in our society in an appropriate way!!
After a journalist dared to speak in public about her experiences of sexual harassment causing more than 60.000 women to comment on twitter under the topic “aufschrei” , the daily sexism in Germany was in focus of media for several days. There are many reports and discussions on sexism and the reactions on “ aufschrei” also shows that we were in need of this debate.
BUT the way TV channels coped with this sensitive topic was horrible and simply inappropriate. It is not acceptable to handle this topic in such an uninformed manner.
There was kidding, joking, aspects were played down or were said to be unimportant. Facts were turned or neglected. It was more like entertaining and pleasing the audience.
But we missed good reports taking into account the importance of this sensitive topic.
The TV shows were not suitable for the task of the public channels to inform and educate. The result: sexism and sexual harassement still seem to be tolerated. The behavior of offenders seems to be accepted and they can go on like before.
Many people (more than 58% of woman , that is about a quarter of the population) suffer from the daily sexism in our society.
It is about sexual harassment and sexual violence. But that is not the only point. It is about structures of society. Structures that permit that half of the population is not taken fully serious. Structures that allow that this half of society is not paid equally. Structures that allow that these people are rather seen as objects of sexual desire than human beings. Structures that seem to be that fixed in society that the only argument counting seems to be “ women and men are like this. Nothing will ever change that. “
That is sexism.
People should be informed about that.
In an adequate way.
Dear public channels, That is your task. Your task is to inform and educate.
Then inform and educate! Inform and educate in an appropriate way. Question, break structures, present backgrounds and developments.
If there is a lack of knowledge: Invite experts. But true experts! And let them share their knowledge.
We are citizens paying GEZ-fees for that shows. Some cities already started to take judicial steps against the new GEZ-fee model. If we do not feel represented in public programms we will have to refuse paying our fees as well.
Stop joking about people that suffer enough from daily sexism. Do not make them feel small!!
Inform in an adequate manner about sexism in our society.
Our demand for our GEZ-fees:
- We request the director as well as the TV councils of public channels to comment on sexist contents in their programs
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We demand the public channels to fulfill their official task to inform and educate, also on sexism (e.g. about the contexts of sexism, street harassment, sexual harassment and sexual violence)
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We demand to invite experts (who get enough time to mention facts!)
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We demand sufficient research (no uninformed presentations)
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We demand respect for the affected women (no joking, and making them appear ridiculous)
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We demand not to blame victims for sexism
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We demand to present women and men as equal in all programs and to avoid sexist content
If you support our demands, please distribute this petition. Every further person to sign, is a step to success.
The German-based group ProChange is comprised of women from Dortmund who are activists for women’s rights.
