The challenges faced by women in politics, including hate speech, violence, and barriers affecting their representation, were the focus of the event organized by the Gender Alliance for Development Center (GADC).
With the participation of AMA’s Chairwoman, Ms. Armela Krasniqi, the Chair of the CEC, Mr. Celibashi, Ombudsman representatives, the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination, civil society, members of parliament, and international organizations, discussions addressed the recurring phenomena of gender-based violence and hate speech in politics, as well as the role of monitoring institutions in the parliamentary elections of May 11.
AMA’s Chairwoman Ms. Armela Krasniqi, presented the institution’s work in monitoring election campaigns, ensuring that audiovisual media coverage remains fair and impartial regarding election campaigns. She also shared concrete figures from the statistical report on gender representation in the media.
Thus, based on the monitoring conducted in 2021 the first time this type of monitoring was applied, it was found that the statistical report on gender representation in audiovisual media was significantly in favor of male politicians. Specifically, they accounted for 81.52% of the monitored television airtime, whereas female politicians occupied only 18.8% of it.
During the electoral campaign leading up to the 2023 local elections, the situation appeared even more discouraging, as the representation of male politicians reached 92.4%, while that of female politicians was just 7.6%.
“The figures mentioned above indicate that politics still needs to reflect and take action to improve in this direction. They also influence the broader societal perception, reinforcing the dominance of male presence in politics, both in general and during election campaigns” – stated Ms. Krasniqi.
It is worth emphasizing that the Audiovisual Media Authority, through the enrichment of the Broadcasting Code, reflects a dedicated section addressing the fight against gender discrimination and the promotion of gender equality.
Also, special attention is given to the complaints related to this issue, establishing two key pillars that support AMA’s workflow processes.
“The issue we are discussing today requires interinstitutional cooperation and multidimensional coordination to achieve real results. I invite you to share with our institution any data, complaints, or reports concerning violence against women in politics submitted through the website presented today. We will review them to ensure a coordinated effort and a swift response with the shared goal of creating a space where women can contribute without fear of violence and discrimination” – stated AMA’s Chairwoman, Ms. Armela Krasniqi.
During this meeting, the website https://stopvawp.al/ was also introduced, where everyone can report incidents of violence against women in politics or hate speech directed at them.
At the end of the meeting, AMA’s Chairwoman Ms. Krasniqi stated that: “We all have a responsibility to build a society where women are protected and respected in every aspect of life, including politics”.
