Television treatment of gender-based and sexual violence in news programmes in 2024
In 2024, the issue of sexist and sexual violence took an unprecedented place in public debate in France, notably through several major court cases. According to the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women(UN Women), such violence is one of the most systematic and widespread violations of human rights: "this violence affects all women, regardless of their age, socio-economic status, level of education or region of the world".
According to the latest sexism barometer from the French High Council for Equality between Women and Men(HCE), 77% of French men and women are in favor of using the media and social networks to denounce sexist and sexual violence.
In this case, television, a central vector of public debate, has been tackling the issue of sexist and sexual violence for several years now. This involvement is not just a matter of editorial choice, but also a legal obligation. Indeed, under Arcom's (then French Superior Audiovisual Council) deliberation n°2015-2 of February 4, 2015 on respect for women's rights, taken in application of article 20-1-A of the law of September 30, 1986, publishers are required to "show each year programs and subjects contributing to the fight against sexist prejudice and violence against women".
In its previous reports on the representation of women and men on television, the French regulatory authority for audiovisual and digital communication (Arcom) encouraged publishers, when dealing with issues of sexist and sexual violence, to draw on the notices issued byUNESCO and the Réseau des instances de régulation méditerranéennes(RIRM), taking into account the specific nature of national debates.
In this respect, as part of the allocation of DTT diffusion authorizations in July 2024, ten editors (BFM TV, T18, CNews, CStar, LCI, OF TV, Paris Première, TFX, TMC and W9) have made the following commitment: "with regard to the treatment of cases of violence against women, the editor will take into account existing best practice recommendations such as those published by Unesco and the Réseau des instances de régulation méditerranéennes in 2021". TF1 and M6 have also made this commitment when they renew their agreements in 2023.
A study by the Institut National de l'Audiovisuel(INA), published in 2024, highlighted an increase in the treatment of sexist and sexual inequalities and violence in the media over the past 5 years, which seems to confirm the trend noted by Arcom reports in recent years. However, channels are not only obliged to mention the subject, they must also "contribute to the fight against sexist prejudice and violence against women". This report takes stock of the nature of TV channels' media coverage of gender-based and sexual violence in 2024, in line with UNESCO's notices.
Key points to remember
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Television treatment of gender-based and sexual violence in news programmes in 2024
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On the same subject
Women's rights
The fair representation of women and men on the airwaves and the fight agains discrimination on the grounds of sex are essential missions for Arcom.
The audiovisual media play a major role in raising public awareness in this area, and must therefore ensure that women are portrayed in their programs.
The representation of women on television and radio - Report on fiscal year 2023