Malawi: Media freedom and gender violence

Blantyre, 20 June: While media and social commentators continue to condemn Parliament Chief Security Officer Youngson Chilinda for assaulting female photojournalist, Thoko Chikondi, I believe the slant of their statements has been far too narrow. The many condemnations focus only on the assault of media freedom and fail to condemn the continual violence perpetrated against women.

Chikondi works for Nation Publication Limited and was outside the Parliament buildings in Lilongwe, on 30 May to document a National Assembly meeting. Chilinda punched Chikondi several times after she photographed consumer rights advocate, John Kapito, who had just presented a petition to Parliament. Chilinda apparently thought that she was actually photographing him without his consent and proceeded to assault her.

Chilinda’s justifications are irrational and illogical on many levels. There is never an excuse for perpetrating such violence, never mind that photojournalists do not need consent to photograph public figures at public events, held in public spaces.

Anthony Kasunda, Chairperson of the Media Institute for Southern Africa -Malawi Chapter (MISA), strongly condemned the assault of Chikondi, saying that Chilinda’s barbaric actions were unwarranted because “if he did not want to be photographed, he could have avoided being in a public place.”

The World Association of Press Councils (WAPC) has also joined MISA and other international organizations in slamming the assault. WAPC suggested that the attack not only harmed the journalist but the whole of society, by intentionally intimidating journalists and threatening media freedom.

Following this attack and a number of similar cases recently reported in South Africa, Sue Valentine, Programme Coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists-Africa (CPJ) said that these heavy-handed actions reveal that security personnel believe they are above the law.

No doubt, all these statements are valid, true and necessary, but there is more to this attack than just another assault on journalists and media freedom: It is a deliberate assault of women. I am convinced that Chilinda, like many other men out there, are never happy seeing women venture into what has traditionally been a male dominated space.

Bonex Julius, a male photojournalist was present at the scene and managed to photograph Chilinda assaulting the Chikondi. Julius did not ‘ask permission’ and in fact captured Chilinda in a very compromising position, yet Chilinda did not feel it necessary to punch Bonex several times.

Chilinda’s barbarism is a product of his blatant chauvinism and lack of respect for women. He attacked Chikondi not because she took pictures of him without his consent but because she is a woman, and thought he could get away with it.

The intimidation and violence perpetrated against journalists, already deters media organisations from sending female journalists into the field. Female journalists and women in general should not have their professional and social freedoms inhibited because some men in society deny women their human rights and rights to safety.

Furthermore, this perpetuates the lack of female reporters as well as the gender-based division of labour that already exists in Malawian media houses. According to gender and media research conducted by Gender Links in Malawi, women only make up 23% of employees in media houses, despite the much higher number of female journalism students enrolled at various tertiary institutions.

Women account for only 21% of Malawian reporters, yet make up 44% of presenters and 75% in the Human Resources departments. These occupational gender stereotypes are far more glaring with women making up only 6% of employees in the technical or IT departments.

However, Chikondi is one of the few female journalists who have stood their ground, undeterred by widespread institutional sexism. Raphael Tenthani, a BBC correspondent and columnist for the Malawi Sunday Times, describes award winning and internationally acclaimed Chikondi as “one of the few female journalists who have burst the stereotype barrier that photojournalism is a man’s domain.”

Chikondi is also undeterred by the attack, saying it has strengthened her resolve to remain a photojournalist. While thanking friends and fans for their support on her Facebook page, Chikondi said, “I still love my job and most of all, my camera which I will always protect. Nothing has changed.”

Being Parliament’s Chief of Security, Chilinda does not need reminding that the Malawi Constitution applies to everyone regardless of sex, gender and profession. What Chilinda did was not only a breach of media freedom and his high-ranking position, but grossly violated women’s rights. Let us hope that Lilongwe Magistrates court sees that justice is done.

Media personnel, especially those in decision-making positions must remember that in order to effectively condemn threats to media freedom, they must also condemn threats to gender equality. Media houses must challenge the gender stereotypes that hinder the professional endeavours of female journalists, because these stereotypes are as violent as a physical assault of women.

The media plays a crucial role in changing mind-sets and achieving gender equality. Without female journalists and without the voices of women, we will never realise equality and freedom of expression.

Daud Kayisi is a gender activist and freelance journalist in Malawi. This article is part of the Gender Links Opinion and Commentary Service that provides fresh views on everyday news