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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Minister warns media to end hostility to women |
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 BANGUI, Dec 2005 (IRIN) - Central African Republic (CAR)
Communication Minister Fidel Ngouandjika has told local media
executives that he would take firm action against any newspapers or
radio and television stations that run stories or programmes that are
hostile towards women.
His decision, he said, came after
hearing local radio stations airing songs and other programmes that
undermine women in the community.
"In a programme I listened on
Radio Ndeke-Luka, I noticed that men were discriminatory towards
women," he said on Friday on state owned radio. "The programme went on
to say that women should be beaten if they misbehave."
Such statements and attitudes, he said, showed disrespect for women and
"do not contribute to the reinforcement of peace and human rights".
Ngouandjika's
threat received mixed reactions in the capital city of Bangui. On
Sunday, Gounengai Wanfio, the head of the CAR Human Rights League, said
Ngouandjika's remarks were misdirected and failed to deal with a larger
social issue.
"The problem of women in the CAR is that of
their status. Rather than putting the blame on the media, the
government should work out the status of women and respect their
rights," Wanfio said.
However, Radio Ndeke-Luka producer
Zephyrin Kaya said there was no reason whatsoever for society to behave
in a manner that was abusive and undermined women.
"I fully appreciate the minister's decision," he said.
Disrespect
sometime goes beyond abuse. A police officer in Bangui, speaking on
condition of anonymity, said episodes of domestic violence, especially
when fuled by alcohol, sometimes led to murder.
"A few months
ago a man was arrested and sent to the central prison after he killed
his partner for making love with another man," he said.
Bernadette
Sayo, who head the local NGO OCODEFAD that cares for rape victims, said
men in the CAR still perceived women as objects they could manipulate.
"Despite
efforts by the government to protect women, I can say that our rights
are always violated," she said. "We are abused and face humiliation all
the time."
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