gisw13_chapters

ROMANIAGender and ICTs: An untold storyStrawberryNet Foundation and Sapientia – HungarianUniversity of TransylvaniaRozália Klára Bakówww.sbnet.ro and www.sapientia.ro/enIntroduction“Give a woman a CD-ROM and she will use it as amirror”: this offensive statement epitomises Romanianmedia discourses on women in general, and inrelation to technology in particular. 1 Either as elitistcontempt or sexist humour, gender stereotyping isomnipresent in the Romanian public space. Criticalreflection on gender equality remains hidden in theivory tower of academic discourses and the backstageof civil society initiatives. Mihaela Miroiu, aprominent Romanian feminist scholar, explains:“While men are portrayed on the first pages ofmedia outlets, women are only on the last pages;while men sell head – competence and performance,women sell full body – sexual services, andhands – care services. The best way for a woman tobe uninteresting in the Romanian mediascape is tobe either a professional, or a student.” 2At the same time, a new tone in the publicdiscourse is conveyed by businesses targeted aturban professional women: glossy magazines andcosmetic companies’ websites portray successful,connected female entrepreneurs. However, eventhe new wave of media discourse is loaded withgender stereotypes: “digital divas” 3 must be youngand attractive.This report focuses on the ways in which onlinemedia from Romania portrays women in relation toinformation and communications technologies (ICTs).Policy and political background: “Roomservicefeminism”In a strongly worded article on the status of Romanianwomen, Miroiu 4 argues that in post-socialist1 www.thesexist.ro/femeile-si-tehnologia-386.html2 Miroiu, M. (2005) Sex si maini si cap si muschi, Revista 22. www.revista22.ro/sex-si-maini-cap-si-muschi-1594.html3 www.digitaldivas.ro/20134 Miroiu, M. (2004) State men, market women: The effectsof left conservatism on gender politics in Romaniantransition, Feminismo/s, 3, p. 207-234. rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/3243/1/Feminismos_3_14.pdfcountries a new patriarchy has developed, a “politicalapartheid” excluding women from key publicpositions. Meanwhile, European Union (EU) accessionhas imposed formal, convenience, top-downgender equality policies called “room-service feminism”by the author. 5A shadow report submitted in 2000 by 17 Romanianwomen and human rights NGOs to theUnited Nation’s Convention on the Elimination of AllForms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)stated that gender equality issues are marginalisedin Romania after the fall of Communism. Poorresource allocation and a lack of interest amongstopinion leaders has resulted in a “serious deficit indefining and approaching the situation of women,and in identifying the causes and formulating thestrategies and policies for the improvement of thissituation.” 6The Communist regime in Romania collapsed in1990, but it took 12 years to regulate sexual harassmentin the country (Law 202/2002). Although thelegislative framework improved significantly 7 duringRomania’s accession to the EU from 2000 to 2006,gender mainstreaming remained a low priority on thepublic agenda. Women’s issues “popped up” mainlywhen high profile personalities were involved.On 18 June 2013 a media scandal emerged whenRomanian President Traian Basescu declared at ameeting with businesswomen, suggesting that theyshould return to their traditional roles as mothers:“How on earth can Roma women raise five, sixchildren, while Romanian women cannot?” 8 As a result,several NGOs have publicly protested and 12women together with human rights organisationssubmitted a petition to the Romanian Council forCombatting Discrimination. 9 The petition expressedconcerns related to discriminating against womenin general, Roma women in particular, and to perpetuatinggender stereotypes.5 Ibid., p. 215.6 www.legislationline.org/documents/id/77037 As shown in the Romanian CEDAW report submitted in 2006: www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/35sess.htm8 www.wall-street.ro/articol/Social/150548/mai-multe-ong-uri-cersanctionarea-lui-basescu-pentru-declaratii-discriminatorii-desprefemei.html9 On 3 July 2013 the Romanian Council for Combatting Discriminationruled that no discrimination had been committed.200 / Global Information Society Watch