Radio Presenter, Zaynab Yekeen has said the use of superficial labels and expressions to describe women reinforces stereotypes against women.
Yekeen made this remark when she responded to a comment during the recent Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism’s (WSCIJ) conversation on X, in commemoration and celebration of the girl child was aimed to challenge stereotypes and inspire young females to aspire for greater roles in society.
Yekeen’s remark was a response to a comment by one of the panelists, Mr Ibrahim Mustaphar, the CEO of Kanem Press Digital, when he called Yekeen a ‘beautiful lady’.
“I don’t want to be referred to as a beautiful lady,” Yekeen said, as she emphasised the need to move beyond superficial labels that perpetuate stereotypes.
Ibrahim Mustaphar, who further revealed that he is a father of four girls acknowledged the oversight, responding with an apology, “sorry about that, my amiable media personnel” which underscored their mutual understanding about the theme of the discussion; “Media’s portrayal of women and its impacts on girl-child aspiration”.
The conversation aimed to reshape perceptions of women in the media and their impact on the aspirations of the girl child.
Yeken further countered the assumptions when Ibrahim suggested that the female gender seems to act rudely when they are privileged to occupy sensitive positions.
“People refer to me as being stubborn, women should not be seen as stubborn, but as a gender who have choices just as the male gender” she clarified reinforcing the idea that women deserve recognition beyond outdated stereotypes,” she added.
Also speaking during the conversation, Business Development Analyst, Ibilolia Akahome, highlighted a significant shift in traditional media narratives, stressing that “in the past, women were often portrayed as housewives, maids, sexual objects and the likes. However, recent trends reveal how women now occupy leadership roles, as the first generation banks, last year had women who occupied topmost position, serving as an inspiration to the female gender.”
Speaking further, she noted how Nollywood is also trying to change the narratives, “Genevieve, in her recent movie titled- Lion Heart, was portrayed as a Female and a C.E.O in her father’s company, as opposed to the ancient traditional norms of portraying women, performing demining roles in movies,” Ibilolia explained.
Executive Director of Media and Information Literacy Intercultural Dialogue Foundation, Chiamaka Okafor on her part, referenced influential women such as Ibukun Awosika and Chimamanda Adichie, whose impactful lives serve as beacons of motivation for young girls today.
As the event unfolded, it became clearer that the discussion was not just timely, but crucial, with the upcoming International Day of the Girl Child.
This year’s theme, as revealed by UNESCO is – “Girls’ Vision for the Future,” and it seeks to celebrate the empowerment of girls and the amplification of their voices in shaping policies for a better future.
The WSCIJ conversation which held on the 8th of October had global participants and media practitioners in attendance, serving as a powerful reminder of media roles, in shaping perceptions, urging it to continue to challenge stereotypes and foster a landscape where every girl child is free from the confines of outdated narratives as she aspires to be the best version of herself.