Sexuality in Media: Emerging Issues in Africa - Africa Regional ...

Sexuality in the Media: Emerging Issues in Africa
This was defined as unsolicited and unwelcome sexual advance and requests for
sexual favours which could be verbal and physical. It could involve touch,
rubbing, suggestive comments, demands for sex and sexual intercourse.
Though women were reported as the major victims of sexual harassment, there
were reports of men, mostly successful men who were sexually harassed by
women (Sun, 30.1.04:p24). The most explosive discussions were about sexual
harassment in tertiary institutions which during the period had received the
attention of the electronic media through the Wale Adenuga Production of Super
Story titled “Mr Lecturer”. One or two songs with accompanying videos were
also released to illustrate this phenomenon. Though lecturers were presented as
the archetype sexual harassers, sexual harassment is said to be prevalent in most
quarters of the Nigerian society-banks, hospitals, government ministries,
parastatals, industries and even religious organisations. Readers' reactions to
this issue showed that people were unhappy about such developments (Sun,
1.2.04: Showpiece). There was even a case of a man who pestered his wife to
sleep with his boss (Punch, 2.5.04: p10) to aid his own promotion to a
managerial post! This shows that there are many strokes to sexual harassment.
Sexy Looks, Sexual Fantasies And Seduction
Table 18: Frequency of Newspaper Reports on Sexy Looks and Seduction
Themes
Reported
Sexy Looks/ Sexual
fantasy and seduction
The Sun The Vanguard The Guardian The Punch The Comet
No. Of
Times
%
No. Of
Times
%
Newspapers
No. Of
Times
No. Of
No. Of
% %
%
Times
Times
5 4% - - 3 4% 3 5% - -
Some of the papers reported on issues concerning sexy looks, sexual fantasies
and seduction. 4% of The Sun's reports, 4% of The Guardian's and 5% of The
Punch's reports on S/SH/SR were concerned with these issues. Some reports
were tips on how to retain a sexy look and remain sexually interesting
(Vanguard, 2.4.04: Fashion and Beauty). Some were on enhancements of body
parts such as breasts to bring out their sexy looks (Sun 4.5.04: p13). Some were
about fantasies of the type of sexual partners people desired (Sun 1.2.04:
foreign tabloids). Women were given tips on how to retain their sexy looks in
order not to lose their husbands and partners to the more sexy looking young
ladies (Punch, 18.1.2004: p25).
Print Media Coverage Of Sexuality Issues in Nigeria
While sexy looks were reported as necessary for maintaining relationships,
some reports condemned the new sexy looks of some female youths which they
think have been taken to an extreme. The majority of the reports however were
on the sexy and sometimes obscene dressing of the female youths especially
students of tertiary institutions (Punch, 24.1.04: pp4-6). Sexy looks were also
reported to be employed by some banks which encourage their young female
employees to wear sexy mini-skirts and trousers to attract male customers to the
banks (Guardian: 27.6.04: p13). With such sexy dressing, a Punch article
(Punch, 7.4.2004: pp14-15) wondered about the suitability of the girls as future
wives. Indeed some women confessed that sexy looks make them generally
successful in the society and do not see anything wrong with them.
Nevertheless, generally, it was common to condemn such behaviour and such
looks as inimical to the dignity of African women and some even equated such
looks to prostitution. Due to this, some articles in the newspapers called for the
introduction of a dress code as a way of checking seductive dressing (Guardian,
5.6.04: p67).
Sexy dressing was said to attract rape and prostitution which have their health
implications.
The new mode of dressing by the female youth challenges the accepted norm of
dressing which bars exposures of body parts to the glare of the public.
The fact that it is only the near nude fashion of young females that came under
criticism strengthens the fact that the young males are allowed more lee way in
their dressing and the expression of their sexuality, which though sometimes
contrary to the traditional dressing patterns do not elicit much criticisms.
Calls were made for dress codes. During the period, the University of Lagos
introduced a dress code for students. Some other Universities including the
University of Abuja have followed suit in the introduction of dress codes though
from reports, implementation is rather difficult.