We would like to react to a fragment from the TV program "Bina -18," aired by GDS TV Studio on July 9, which contained humiliating visualization of a female body. We believe that aforementioned footage represents openly sexist interpretation of roles of women and men in society and further reinforces negative stereotypes among the society. Therefore, this fragment requires adequate assessment.

No doubt that the freedom of expression implies the right to express any idea and opinion; however legal guarantees of the freedom of speech and expression do not relieve media from responsibilities and duties inherent to this profession.

In modern society media has an immense potential to facilitate social changes. It is able to either hinder or hasten the structural changes towards gender equality. In the cultural context wherein women often become victims of sexist attitudes and stereotypes, the presentation of a female as an object by TV channel and thus strengthen traditional perception of the roles of men and women, is totally unacceptable.

We believe that for the TV Company which has the ambition to practice responsible and not tabloid journalism, planning to produce social and political programs in the future, broadcast of sexist content encouraging gender inequality should be unacceptable. Public attitude towards the GDS TV Company will largely depend on how adequately the editorial board will reconsider the case and how the public criticism of the program will affect the future editorial policy of the company. A modern understanding of the role of media is much broader than it being perceived as a mere business project. We hope that the GDS will be more focused on media's social responsibility than its commercial interest. This means being accountable to every social group and reflecting their needs and interests.

Media Development Fund

Georgian Democratic Initiative

Tolerance and Diversity Institute

Article 42 of the Constitution

Human Rights Monitoring and Education Center

Sapari

Media club Frontline Georgia

Rusudan Gotsiridze, Bishop of the Evangelical Baptist Church

Georgian Church of Evangelical Faith

Open Society-Georgia

Gender Equality

Society for Positive Changes

Women Information Center

TASO foundation

Women's Fund in Georgia

National Violence Protection Center

Gender Equality Network

Georgian Young Lawyers Association

Georgian Regional Media Association

Association Tolerance

Civil Council on Defense and Security

Georgian Institute of European Values, GIEV

Partnership for Human Rights, PHP

Civil Development Agency, CIDA

Association of Germans of Georgia Ainung

Media Monitoring Center of Georgia

International Center of Women's Education and Information

Identoba

Association LGBT Georgia