Demeaning women

Frida Kahlo

Newspaper title in the Detroit News about Frida Kahlo (date unknown). Her husband was Diego Rivera :

While none of Kahlo's works were featured in exhibitions in Detroit, she gave an interview to the Detroit News on her art; the article was condescendingly titled "Wife of the Master Mural Painter Gleefully Dabbles in Works of Art".

Asia Ramazan Antar

Also known as Viyan Antar, was a Kurdish Women's Protection Units (YPJ) fighter who has become a symbol of the feminist struggle in the Rojava conflict and in the fight against ISIS by international media.

In 2014, at the age of 16, Antar joined the Women's Protection Units with the aim of fighting against the Islamic State. After photos of her spread across the internet, she was dubbed "the Kurdish Angelina Jolie" by international media for her physical resemblance. These comparisons led to repudiation by other Kurdish fighters and activists of the Kurdish cause who described the comparisons as sexist and objectifying.

After she died, it was news once again, and news headlines were reduced to "the Kurdish Angelina Jolie has died," emphasizing at all times the physical resemblance between the two and rarely discussing her participation in the fight against ISIS. This was condemned by supporters of the Kurdish cause and even other fighters.

The minimization of her as a person was seen as demeaning by many Kurdish activists, especially given Asia's feminist leanings. Choman Kanaani, an activist and Kurdish fighter who repudiated the Western media's treatment of Asia, told the BBC that, "The entire philosophy of YPJ is to fight sexism and prevent using women as a sexual object," in reference to the YPJ's position on sexism. He added:

We want to give women their rightful place in society and for them to own their own destinies. Viyan died for these ideals. In the media, no-one talked about the ideals for which she gave her life, nor what Viyan achieved for women in Rojava in the past four years.

More here.

 

Sexist headline

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