Grace Chirenje SHE took the microphone and started speaking, her voice was quivering and the therapist in me immediately picked the strong emotions weighing down her heart. As she shared her story, I learnt that she had been a victim and survivor of sexual harassment.
Her experience was just so sad, so much that she wanted to give up on her career as a journalist. As each young woman took to the microphone, story after story, sharing after sharing, it was evident that we do have a pandemic more serious than monkeypox or anything the world has ever seen.
One of my mentors always warns me that these erections will kill us and I could not think of a better time her wisdom applied than in this particular instance — the desire for men to service their erections at the expense of women’s personal growth has clearly overtaken any sense such that they abuse the very same young women they ought to be leading through various platforms of internship. Sad.
The patriarchal narrative A quick look around Zimbabwe’s media terrain will show that men are at the helm of power. They are leading in this sector. This has many dynamics but the greatest is that if men lead the spaces where stories are told, this means that they will tell even women’s stories from their perspective.
That in itself is not the major issue. What is more disturbing is that the men who lead in the media have the power to influence the thinking of society by shaping how they tell the stories and share the experiences of women.
In instances where women and girls want to expose the very men who are in power of controlling the kind of stories that are shared with society, it is to women’s disadvantaged.
As I listened to the young sister sharing her story, it was clear that sexual harassment is rife in the media sector. Guess what? Not only is it rife but it thrives under the watchful eye of men who seem to have more or less the same thinking and protect each other as each seeks to await their turn to service their very own erections!
How then can one man expose another? I know some really awesome brothers, fathers, uncles, allays and all great men who are going to step up and make sure that perpetrators are brought to book.
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Given there are so many issues that come with women, especially young women, leading in newsroom, now is the time for the powers that be to urgently push for conversations around sexual harassment in the newsrooms. Imagine being young, naïve, passionate and hungry for learning — only to come face to face with the face of sexual abuse. As guardians take their children through school, they hope that one day these children, especially the girl child, will be able to resist and fight through the vast opposing forces of patriarchy and become the very best of what they wish to become.
It is devastating to hear the harrowing stories of young women who are part of the newsrooms. Sexual harassment robs young women of their power to become. By being objectified and targeted as a source of men servicing their erections, young women fail to realise their full potential of becoming the best media practitioners Zimbabwe needs.
When men come together to bet on which one of them will sleep with that says a lot about the kind of human beings, we are choosing to be the face of possible professional growth.
Yes, it is human nature to experience sexual attraction. But is there no room for discipline or have we now become animals whose sexual instincts may not be within reasonable control?
Honestly, sexual harassment in the newsroom needs to stop. It is destroying the future of our young women journalists!
Ending sexual harassment As the sister shared her experience — I recalled the day my heart was heartbroken. R Kelly was an artist that inspired me beyond words. After hearing the horrific experiences of the women he sexually abused, I immediately stopped being a fan. It was heart-breaking.
I was devastated. This same feeling is the one I had when listening to the story of that young woman as she shared her story and relived her experiences in the newsroom.
We all agreed, a #metoo movement is urgent within the media sector to out perpetrators and put an immediate end to sexual harassment.
It is about starting the conversation and making it known that it is happening. It is about naming and shaming the many men who are seeing young women interns as nothing but those that can support them to service their next erection.
Sexual harassment in the newsrooms is from today declared a pandemic and you know what a pandemic is? They are declared disasters and urgent action should be taken to ensure that they are eradicated.
As my sister shared her story and relived her experiences with all of us. We declared our renewed commitment to ensuring that none of us as sisters would ever remain silent in the face of sexual harassment.
We vowed that we would not only protect ourselves but each other also from further sexual abuse. We will not be deterred. We will soldier on and make sure that newsrooms become a safe space for young women to become the most brilliant media practitioners the world has ever seen.
We keep our eyes on the ball. Until then, we live, laugh and love in a bid to show the world that we were here, becoming better, making our mark, leaving our footprint as we make the world a better place!
- Chirenje writes in her personal capacity as a citizen of Zimbabwe. Twitter: @graceruvimbo; Facebook: Grace Chirenje; Instagram: @graceruvimbo
