[Wamvan] Fwd: [Ncrawomen] Discussing Sexism in our Sector - workshop notes

[Frieda Werden]

This was a workshop at this year's National Campus and Community Radio
Conference in Halifax.  I am at the conference but missed the workshop :(
Howver, these are good notes!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kristiana Clemens <cfrcops at ams.queensu.ca>
Date: Fri, Jun 10, 2011 at 12:14 AM
Subject: [Ncrawomen] Discussing Sexism in our Sector - workshop notes
To: "ncrawomen at ncra.ca" <ncrawomen at ncra.ca>


hey folks!
here are the notes from today's workshop at the NCRC.
i added a few things from memory where they weren't on my pages, hopefully
it all makes sense and reflects our (i mean the participants') time
together.  thanks,
Kristiana

DISCUSSING SEXISM AT OUR STATIONS - workshop notes

1) Participants' Goals
*To find positive solutions to sexist incidents that go beyond drafting
policies
-To discuss sexism in the context of media production
-To find a means of conflict resolution suitable for situations involving
sexism
*To identify less obvious/less visible examples of sexism and find ways of
resolving them
-To identify common problems among stations in our sector
-To develop and maintain positive, sexism-free work environments
-To hear each others' experiences
-To learn about sexism
*To find ways of confronting/handling prolems as they arise
-To address how sexism relates to other kinds of oppression
-To discuss how some women benefit from patriarchy
-To address gender stereotypes and their negative impact on people

2) What Is Sexism?
-oppression
-benefits and privileges
-loss of power
-reinforcing stereotypical gender roles
-visible and invisible
-violence:  physical, systemic, situational, emotional, financial...
-a means of discrediting and devaluing people
-exclusion
-discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression
-behaviors rooted in the combination of preudice + power

3) What is male privilege?
-a head start
-patriarchy
-a support network that protects male power
-bodily sovereignty:  self-determination and lack of fear
-warrior/hunter ethos
-increased access to resources
-fewer roadblocks
-more weight given to one's opinions in social situations/decision-making
situations
-dominant feature of major world religions
-an "invisible backpack" of tools, resources, and advantages; it is
weightless and you don't realize you're carrying it, thus making it hard to
identify (Peggy Mackintosh)
-much of what we come up with when we try to describe male privilege is the
inverse or opposite of what comes up when we consider sexism
-male privilege is an outcome of binary gender dynamics that divide people
into two opposing camps (male and female); does not recognize gender and
sexual diversity, often rendering trans and gender-nonconforming people
less/invisible.
-privilege can be personal (what you experience) or social (what you are
accorded based on how others perceive your gender)
-privilege is intersectional:  in real life we can't analyze male privilege
without also discussing white privilege, heterosexual privilege, cisgender
privilege, able-bodied privilege, class privilege etc....

4) Scenarios
-We broke up into 5 groups of 3 people each.  Each group reviewed one
pre-written scenario (true stories from our sector) and answered the
questions "What's the problem here?" and "What could we do?"  Each group
also described a situation from their own experiences, appying the same
questions.

A)  You tune into a Saturday morning jazz program on your local
campus-community station and hear the following lyrics in a song being
played:
"There's just one way to handle a woman/Dean we just got to treat 'em rough
Got to slap 'em, That's right/We got to show 'em who wears the pants/Cut out
that sissy, sissy stuff
Now it ain't no use to take abuse/Whenever they are cranky or cross
Let's put the women in their place/And we'll show them who's the boss."

What's the problem?  Offensive content on-air (the song promotes
gender-based violence, stereotypes and patriarchy)
What could we do?  Meet with the programmer to ensure that they understand
the problem; have the programmer complete anti-oppression training and
deliver an appropriate response on-air (an apology, feminist-focused jazz
program, etc.)

Personal Story:  A member of your station's news collective proposes a
program about abortion.  Two men in the collective argue that the program
will be unbalanced unless the voices of pro-lifers are included.
What's the problem?  Pro-life movement is dominated by extremist
philosophies rooted in patriarchy
What could we do?  Have a discussion about the goals of alternative media
and the possibility of airing multiple voices that are non-oppressive;
and/or raise the issue with station staff.


B)  A woman hosting a weekday morning, open-format program breaks between
music tracks with the following commentary:
"I was having a discussion with my classmates about the whole SlutWalk
pheonomenon, and my opinion is, dressing like a slut isn't really
empowering.  You can't do whatever you want and expect all men to be able to
control themselves.  I see girls out there and I'm wondering, 'What are they
dressing for?  What is with the bare legs and short skirt?  Yeah, they wanna
get some, right?'  Anyway, I had an interesting discussion with some other
girls about it, and the SlutWalk, I'm not for it."

What's the problem?  The host is advocating patriarchal stereotypes (of both
women and men) on-air
What could we do?  Meet with the programmer to ensure that they understand
the problem; provide anti-oppression training and training in
journalistic/editorial practices.

Personal Story:  A male music programming brings in a guest who performs a
song on the air called "My Bitches," featuring the lyrics "I'm gonna slap
you with my DICtionary."
What's the Problem?  The song is degrading to women and devalues them
What could we do?  Meet with the programmer to ensure that they understand
the problem and know that they are responsible for the behavior of their
guests (along with whatever else is broadcast on-air during their timeslot);
deliver a warning or other disciplinary procedure; have the programmer
complete anti-oppression training and deliver an apology on-air.


C)  Over the past six weeks, 3 different volunteers have come to you with
complaints about a certain male programmer.  One woman said that she was
yelled at and threatened in the on-air control room when there no one else
was around; the second complained about unwanted advances including being
asked for her phone number and having her hair touched; the third believes
she is being followed by this person.  None of these women wants to make an
official complaint, but all three have told you that they are considering
leaving the station to avoid the programmer involved.

What's the Problem?  The station has become an unsafe environment for women
programmers
What could we do?  Inform the station manager about the situation; warn or
expel the programmer; follow the station's safe space policy (if there is
one) but be sure to respect the victims' wishes and feelings before
proceeding.  Review the station's institutional culture and complaints
process.

Personal story:  You notice that all of the technical staff at your station
(engineers, production technicians) and most of the on-air operators are
male.
What's the problem?  Reflects a gendered adoption of technical roles,
reinforcing gendered stereotypes about technical abilities and interest
among men versus women.
What could we do?  Organize women's-only trainings; have women offer
one-on-one technical support and mentoring.


D)  A local promoter comes by weekly to drop off flyers for local events.
 You notice that, although the performers at the events being advertised are
always male, the flyers always feature full-chested women wearing bikinis
and lots of makeup.  One week, the promoter asks to purchase advertising to
promote a wet t-shirt contest and dance party at a local bar.

What's the Problem?  The promoter is profiting from exploiting women's
sexuality, thus commodifying women's bodies.  Having the flyers at the
station, and especially airing advertising for the promoter, links the
station with these practices.
What could we do?  Meet with the promoter to discuss the problems with his
event and promotions; or simply refuse to run the advertising.

Personal story:  Male board members sometimes make condescending comments to
women staff and board members.  While the remarks are not overtly violent or
harassing, they have left women directors and employees feeling
uncomfortable or angry on a number of occasions.
What's the Problem?  The power of the directorship combined with the power
of male privilege compromises the ability for the recipients of the comments
to respond directly, particularly for the employee who is subject to the
board's decisions.
What could we do?  Organize anti-oppression training for the board as a
whole; meet with sympathetic board members to lodge a complaint and request
that they intervene on behalf of the employee


E)  You are part of a committee struck to complete a gender audit at your
station.  The audit reveals that only 35% of the station's spoken word
programmers, and 25% of the music programmers, identify as women.  Because
there is a women's music program and a feminist issues show that have short
timeslots and operate on a collective basis, you discover that only about
20% of the station's programming is presented by hosts who identify as
women.  When you  share the audit results with the station's programming
director, the PD replies that few women come out to volunteer orientations.

What's the Problem?  There is a gender imbalance on-air, due to lack of
outreach and/or sympathy on the part of the PD.  The gender imbalance may be
creating an unwelcoming space for women both in the station and on-air.
What could we do?  Extend the timeslots for the women's collective programs
if they respond favourably to the suggestion; change the orientation
structure, scheduling or location; make the audit widely known among the
station's volunteer base and membership; conduct targetted outreach to
women's groups and organizations in the area.

Personal Story:  You are the music coordinator at your station.  A male
programmer sends an email to your work address asking you out on a date.
 You choose not to respond.  A few weeks later, the programmer emails all of
the paid staff at your station, threatening to quit his program.
What's the Problem?  Unwanted advances in the workplace constitute
harassment
What could we do?  Refer to your organization's harassment policy,
especially if harassing behavior  occurs again.


5) Wrap-Up
Several recurring themes and suggestions arose during this session:
A) Policies meant to address sexist discrimination, harassment and creating
a safe space often fail to resolve matters that arise in a timely, effective
way that addresses the needs of individuals involved.
B) Where time and safety permit, approaching an individual directly and
immediately to discuss their sexist behavior is a practical approach.
C) If anyone's physical safety is threatened, dismissal or suspension of an
aggressor or harasser may need to be implemented before a situation
escalates.  Do not compromise a vulnerable person's well-being to protect a
suspected perpetrator.
D) Prevention is the best cure:  By developing a strong culture of respect
and ensuring that volunteers, staff and board members complete
anti-oppression trainings on an ongoing basis, many instances of sexism and
other oppressive behaviors can be averted.
E) For resources and assistance in organizing anti-oppression training,
campus-community stations can consult with their University's equity or
human rights office or PIRG.  Non-campus stations can approach local women's
groups, PIRGs, call-out to volunteers and listeners for assistance, and
refer to    sites such as http://www.rantcollective.net/ and
http://www.trainingforchange.org/
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-- 
Frieda Werden, Series Producer
WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service www.wings.org
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