A month-long campaign to gather evidence of sexism in the media and advertising is to be launched in Brighton next week, as part of a growing movement which is challenging sexism in wider society.

The initiative follows the publication of landmark evidence on media sexism given to the Leveson Inquiry last year by a coalition of women’s groups (1), as well as the success of recent social media campaigns such as Everyday Sexism.

Women representing Brighton Women’s Voices, a network to be formally launched later in the year (2), are calling on the city’s residents to send photos or links of examples of sexism to a new website, http://spotthesexism.blogspot.co.uk, or post on social media throughout June using the hashtag #sexistpress.

A selection of those received will be included in a report on the issue, which will be presented to the Government’s Equalities and Media Minister, Maria Miller in July to push, for example, for restrictions on sexually explicit and objectifying images in newspapers and magazines, as well as for training for journalists and editors on issues relating to violence against women and girls.

Lisa Dando, Director of Brighton Women’s Centre, said:

“Messages that women are to be judged on how they look before anything else, that they are less able and less likely to achieve great things are put across loud and clear in the media.

“They’re in the way women are pictured and described, and they’re in the predominance of men as commentators and authoritative voices.

“The issues behind this are complex, but one thing is simple – these messages are sexist and put women down for being just that – women. It’s time for that to stop.”

Indi Hicks, the Students Union Welfare Officer at the University of Sussex said:

"Campaigns like 'Spot the Sexism' are crucial to challenging embedded sexism, changing attitudes and ending the culture of acceptability that leaves such behaviour unchallenged. 

“We have been working hard on our own Zero Tolerance campaign at Sussex University, but it is exciting to be a part of a city-wide approach to challenging sexism."

Gail Gray, CEO of charity RISE, said:

“Media sexism genuinely affects how we view and treat women, and how women view and value themselves. 

“It’s important that the impact of the everyday sexism we find in the media is not trivialised, that we can ‘Spot the Sexism’ and identify the damage it does to everyone in society.” 

Sophie Pointer, a Brighton-based musician and parent, said:

“It saddens me that so many people believe there is no longer a need for feminism and that sexism is often seen as 'just a bit of fun'.

“This June, I hope we can demonstrate that sexism is still a major problem that is damaging to both women and men – and we want everyone to spread the word.

"Send your examples of sexist media to the website, via Twitter @SpotTheSexism and using #sexistpress, or join our 'Spot the Sexism Brighton' page on Facebook.”

The women’s groups will be joined by Green MP Caroline Lucas, who will present the findings to the Minister. She said:

"Whether it’s the Sun’s embarrassingly regressive Page 3, the Daily Mail representing women as merely the sum of their ‘curves’ or ‘pins’, or rape cases being reported next to pictures of half-naked women, the media constantly sends out damaging messages about women and girls.  

“At a time when awareness of violence against women and girls is increasing, it’s vital that we challenge the cultural context which allows gendered violence to take place on such an alarming scale. 

“By taking a sample month’s sexist media and advertising examples and presenting them to the Minister, we will urge her to take action to restrict objectifying images and challenge reporting which trivialises violence against women and girls, as well as asking the Culture, Media and Sport Committee to carry out a full inquiry into sexism across the media.”

ENDS

Notes

1)      The Just the Women report, presented to the Leveson Inquiry in 2012

2)      Brighton Women’s Voices, to be formally launched later this year, is an independent network of women’s organisations, organisations working with women, and individuals, that have come together to ensure women’s voices are heard when policy is made in the city.  For further information, contact STSBrighton@gmail.com