Victimization of Women in the Global South

Through Summer’s presentation within class, she noted how media constantly shows women as the victims of men’s violence. They focus on women being killed and then neglect other categories of victims, namely men and children. Further, she noted how the media doesn’t do many follow ups on these women’s stories, rather they just share these women as victims and forget about them after that. Further, she noted how the only attention women gain through the media is through their death and violence committed against them, and how there is not enough of a focus on their everyday needs, such as feminine hygiene products not being given out by NGO’s. In class, we discussed how women typically have an easier time being accepted into a host country due to the fact that they are not thought of as aggressors but as victims, while men on the other hand are thought of as more aggressive and tend to have a hard time being allowed into these host countries. Further, in class we discussed how women’s political work is typically undermined in the global south, and how countries in the global north group all women in the global south as helpless victims. Yet, there is activism within the global south, it just tends not to be covered in the media because it breaks this victim mentality that tends to be had of women in the global south. 

One of the most prominent feminist activists that I know of is Malala Yousafzai, who is a prominent Pakistani activist who fights for women’s educational rights. In this article, https://www.biography.com/people/malala-yousafzai-21362253, you can read about her story and political activism. While she was still a child, she openly campaigned for a women’s right to an education, which the Taliban violently disagreed with. While I think her contributions have been amazing towards women’s educational rights, which she was soon awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for, many media depictions of her tend to not focus on her activism and beliefs but rather paint her as a victim to her country. While Malala’s achievements are remarkable, especially considering she became an activist at such a young age, many don’t recognize her name for this. Rather, they know her as the girl who was shot by the Taliban, and that tends to be the focus in the media. While I think it’s awful that this violence was committed against her, I think it does connect in Summer’s presentation through the fact that even this woman who is educated and was fighting strongly against her countries policies was depicted as this. Malala later went on to write about her experiences in her best-selling novel, and now is attending oxford university studying politics so she can further her political career. The media seems to depict women in this light to gain sympathy from the readers, but it only contributes to this widely–held belief that women in the global south are incapable of standing up for themselves, and that they are merely victims. Rather, I feel that it is important to recognize women’s activism, and support it as a means of furthering it, instead of ignoring it.

Sources: 

Kettler, Sara. “Malala Yousafzai.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 9 Oct. 2018, www.biography.com/people/malala-yousafzai-21362253.