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Surprised by questions asked of politicians
Those who watched the show, hosted by journalist Nemira Pumprickaitė, were surprised by the questions it asked. The LRT Forum usually talks about current issues, but this time the direction of the show was different: politicians talked about personal life. While personal life topics are not taboo, viewers were amazed at how the questions were asked and what they were like.
“That means if there are more men, there will be more hyphens (in the last name), right?” (question by V. Čmilyte-Nielsen)
“Do you have an answer for yourself, why did that (first) marriage happen?” (question by V. Čmilyte-Nielsen)
“We usually see you alone. Have you ever met a person in your life who can be called a spouse, a close friend? “ (ask I. Šimonyte)
You mean you built the house yourself too? Without male help? (ask I. Šimonyte)
Such and even more problems have enraged the public. “A sexist, unprofessional show that humiliates the most important state officials and Lithuanian women in general. That tone today is unjustifiable even for a private channel or online portal chasing ratings. So the fact that we saw it through LRT is a serious mistake of the national broadcaster, which must be admitted, or an invitation to return to reality for those who still have illusions about the acceleration and sustainability of progress. of our society, “Domantas wrote on Facebook.
Many viewers stated that they did not watch the show until the end, turned it off, and it was also mentioned that there should be a public apology from LRT for this show.
Sigismund Gedvila / 15 min photo / Ingrida Šimonytė
How would the same question seem to the former prime minister?
The Lithuanian Center for Human Rights also responded to this, and its experts shared their ideas on the social network.
“It is understandable that it is important for society to know its leaders. However, when asking questions, it is necessary to critically assess the extent to which these issues are determined by gender, the extent to which these questions perpetuate prevailing stereotypes in society, and the extent to which those questions sound appropriate if a woman politician is changed in a man, ”said the Lithuanian Center for Human Rights.
Talking to 15 minutes Head of Communication, Lithuanian Center for Human Rights, Master of Gender Studies Jūratė Juškaitė He said that, on the one hand, it is understood that the show was intended to introduce more to the public the people who currently hold very important positions in the state: show their personalities, understand who these people are, what their values are, etc.
“However, some of the questions asked in the show can probably be easily linked to the gender of the politicians involved in the show: for example, the prime minister was asked: “Is that what you mean you built that house alone, without male help? So who’s that nail bitch?
Can you imagine the same question being asked, for example, of former Prime Minister Saul Skvernel: “PAGS. Skverneli, you mean you built that house by yourself, without male help? So who’s that bitch with the nails?
It is inconceivable that a prime minister can do without a man.
Apparently such a question would have been supported as a questioning of Skvernel’s masculinity. However, the same question seems acceptable to the prime minister, “said J. Juškaitė.
According to the interlocutor, such a formulation of the question in our imagination does what visually can be called the function of “bringing a woman back”: “That is, despite the prime minister sitting in front of us, one of the most important of the country. Imagination of a woman: it is inconceivable that a prime minister could do without a man.
Thus, for example, the Prime Minister’s response that she hired male builders is not understood as a simple purchase of a service, but as a symbolic confirmation of her femininity: even though she has no husband or partner, she cannot do without the men “.
According to J. Juškaitė, it is also important to pay attention not only to specific questions, but also to the totality of the questions: research shows that political women very often have to answer questions about their appearance, family and what we consider a sphere private life and home space.
It is important to critically evaluate the content of the programs to see if they do not encourage sexism.
“In other words, traditional ‘feminine’ areas, whether politicians see it as an important or unimportant part of their identity. In this way, we continue to build conservative norms for women with patriarchal values. We also saw a lot of that on the LRT Forum show. For example, the Seimas Spokesperson had to answer a series of questions about her personal life and her previous relationships, which can hardly be considered part of the public interest in knowing, ”said the interlocutor.
“The public broadcaster makes many efforts to invite women experts to its programs and thus increase the representation of women in the public space. In this regard, LRT in Lithuania apparently also sets a positive example for other media and contributes to greater visibility of women experts in the public sphere.
However, it is equally important to critically evaluate the content of the programs, if they do not promote sexism and gender stereotypes, and to reduce the access of such content to the public, ”added J. Juškaitė.
Photo by Luke April / 15min / Victoria Čmilytė-Nielsen
V.Čmilytė-Nielsen: “It is less convenient when you need to talk about feelings”
An interview with the news portal is granted on Tuesday. 15 minutes, Speaker of the Seimas V.Čmilytė-Nielsen He also shared his thoughts on his own evaluation of Monday’s LRT Forum program.
“It is always more fun to speak in public, with the media, when the topic is activities, jobs, my professional achievements, ideas and finally, current affairs. Then I feel more comfortable. A little less convenient is when it comes to talking about feelings, emotional experiences. But there are different genres of interviews. This is how I treat it, “said the Seimas Spokesperson.
15 minutes When asked by journalist Roberta Tracevičiūtė if she could imagine that similar questions would be asked of former Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis or former President of the Seimas Viktoras Pranckietis, V.Čmilytė-Nielsen said that it is obvious that not: “Gender stereotypes remain good enough. I think that will change little by little, but sometimes those steps are not as big as you would like. “
LRT: The goal was to show a broader picture of women leaders
15 minutes he applied to the LRT and asked for his evaluation and position. As written by the LRT public relations representative Mist Savickaitė In his response, the LRT Forum was broadcast during the holiday period.
“This time they wanted to escape from politics and invite the president of the Seimas and the head of government to talk about other personal issues. It is the case that two of the three main people in the state (women, strong personalities, professionals in their fields) the program aimed to show a broader picture of women leaders who have repeatedly encountered gender stereotypes in their lives.
The principle of equality of people, equality and equal opportunities is one of the fundamental values guided by the public broadcaster LRT.
We thank all viewers for the opinion and comments expressed “, – was written in the response of LRT.
Irmanto Gelūno / 15min nuotr./LRT
It is also highlighted that LRT seeks to raise awareness among both LRT employees and independent producers who create programs for LRT radio and television programs about gender equality and about the manifestations of sexism that still permeate public communication: “In the Fall of this year, LRT hosted a seminar for LRT employees and producers. , in which the issue of sexism was discussed among current affairs. Starting next year, a team of LRT people will be formed who work in different aspects to develop the principles of diversity and inclusion, coordinate the implementation of the principles and strive to make the LRT a role model for other media.
Recognizing the importance of gender equality and the relevance of this topic, LRT joined the 50:50 program initiated by the BBC, which aims to ensure that the content created reflects the diversity of approaches and guarantees gender equality. By participating in this program, we regularly evaluate data about program participants, interviewers, presenters and publish it within the organization. It is also an effective way to educate workers about the importance of gender equality and diversity and their participation. “
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