Page 963 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 17 June 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Male journalists and politicians have often said that no correlation could be made between these depictions and the treatment of women. I guess that they are the same people who argued against tobacco advertising in magazines, television and on the sports fields. Why? Quite rightly, the assumption can be made that if we are serious about curbing a previously accepted practice, for example, smoking or driving under the influence of alcohol, then direct intervening action should be taken to change attitudes to that behaviour.
Governments have paid particular attention to advertising ensuring that encouragement of anti-social practice is not permitted. Interestingly, it is most commonly members of the press and the political arena who insist that these negative images of women have no effect on the public. One must remember that the next time a negative image in the press sparks a leadership challenge or conflict between nations.
What women are trying to say when they take action against these publications is that these images are out of step with where women are in society and what governments purport to be encouraging as healthy in our community. Images of consenting, equal sexuality are acceptable in our society and consequently are not what women are fighting against. It is understandable that there are now worldwide moves to disempower those who prosper from actions that are sexist and not acceptable in our society and our laws.
We must ask ourselves why the following enigmas exist. It is illegal to discriminate against women, to kill, rape or beat them; yet in R-rated movies, not X-rated movies, available at the family video outlet, or in magazines displayed in newsagents and airports, they can be given all these treatments in a sexual rather than a criminal context. If similar publications were to be produced using Chinese men, for example, the charge of racism would be swift, and so it should be.
A recent conference on the status of women in Darwin, attended by Federal, State and Territory government Ministers, urged an overhaul of guidelines on videos and printed material which sexually demean and incite violence against women. The Victorian Premier, Mrs Kirner, reported that:
The Ministers representing women believe the portrayal of women in demeaning attitudes or attitudes that incite violence is unacceptable.
She added:
... the community has got to the stage where it simply is not going to tolerate any longer, material or media attention which demeans women or incites violence against women or legitimises it.
It is time that we, as politicians, took the lead on these issues, as difficult as they are. To keep ignoring them is to condone and encourage sexist practice throughout our society.
Debate (on motion by Mrs Carnell) adjourned.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .