Women in public positions in North Macedonia are easy targets of hate speech

Ingrained stereotypes about women’s roles in society are often weaponized against women who challenge traditional norms or take on leadership positions

Originally published on Global Voices

This article by  Fjola Zlatku was first published in Albanian by Portalb.mk and translated into English by Meta.mk. An edited version is republished here under a content-sharing agreement between Global Voices and Metamorphosis Foundation. 

Despite visible progress in the fight for women’s rights, increased representation of women in politics and greater attention to issues affecting women, the tendency to express contempt and insult women persists. More specifically, these attacks target women who are increasingly exposed to hate speech because of their profession, especially on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). In most cases, this kind of speech is used as a tool to undermine their dignity and social standing, according to Portalb.mk.

A study by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) revealed that in the first half of  2024, 3,380 comments with sexist language targeting women in politics were identified. These tend to peak during pre-election periods. The problem is further exacerbated by the inadequate regulation of social platforms, which often fail to effectively address ongoing violations against women in the public sector, as well as by the impunity enjoyed by perpetrators from the relevant authorities. This lack of accountability negatively affects both women who are targeted and broader efforts to promote respectful public discourse.

Ingrained stereotypes about women’s roles in society are often weaponized against women who challenge traditional norms or take on leadership positions. Hence, VIPs usually find themselves in a difficult position where their professional life poses a threat to their private life. Unlike men, who are typically criticized for their professional skills, women are often targets of attacks which include unjust invasion of their privacy. Regardless of their profession — whether in politics, media, business, or entertainment — their skills and achievements are frequently overshadowed by attacks on their morality as women. Numerous examples that illustrate this social issue exist.

Media ‘incidents’ of hate speech targeting women in the public sphere

One month ago, Adelina Tahiri, a popular ethnic Albanian singer from Skopje, became the target of hate speech. A Facebook post by ATV showcasing an interview where she discussed her marital and family relations was flooded with gender-based offensive comments. Tahiri has faced similar criticism before, especially for her marriage to an ethnic Macedonian man, her brother’s marriage to an ethnic Macedonian woman, as well as her participation in a rally of the political party VMRO-DPMNE, which espouses Macedonian nationalist positions. These attacks on her personal choices not only diminish her artistic achievements but also highlight the persisting gender-based stereotypes in a patriarchal society.

Another example concerns the singer Big Mama, who became the target of hate speech after a TikTok video of her singing Serbian songs in a restaurant was recorded by Balkan.info and broadcast by the portal in7.tv. The comments directed at her combined gender-based insults with ethnic slurs, reinforcing harmful stereotypes and deepening ethnic divisions.

Recently, Kaltrina Zekolli Shaqiri, the current deputy minister of transport of North Macedonia, faced severe online attacks for her political views. In a TV21 interview, she expressed gratitude toward her party leader, Izet Mexhiti, who, according to her, had a major impact on her political career, supporting her decision to follow him in the new division of the political structure. This was distorted by the media outlet Explus, which linked it to a controversial image of Zekolli sitting at a table full of money in a video post entitled “Kaltrina Zekolli with a lot of money on Izet Mexhiti’s table in the Municipality of Chair.” This post, which uses hate speech, sparked a deluge of sexist, misogynistic, and derogatory comments about her.

Similarly, VLEN Coalition of ethnic Albanian political parties, MP Saranda Imeri faced hateful comments after an interview on TV21 where she discussed being an artist and a politician, as well as her English degree. These offensive remarks demonstrate how our society often views women’s accomplishments with suspicion, undermining their hard work and investment.

These cases illustrate how such attacks deter women from engaging in politics and public life, creating a hostile environment that undermines gender equality in these spaces. The impact of gender-based hate speech and defamation goes beyond ruining the reputation of individuals; it fosters a climate of fear and discouragement that deters other women from participating in public, political, and cultural life. This phenomenon deepens gender inequality in the public sphere, causing women to be less present and represented.

Hate speech against women ‘has been normalized’

Experts argue that online violence against women has become widely normalized.

Christina Doda, a researcher from the Institute of Human Rights, shared the findings of a recent study on an even more disturbing topic of online gender-based violence (i.e., cyberbullying) targeting high school students in North Macedonia.

Doda explained that young girls are the most frequent victims of this form of harassment:

Gender stereotypes, prejudices and traditional roles reinforce cultural (violent) forms of behavior, both online and offline, while the disturbing narrative for boys is mainly found on the profiles which differ from the widespread norms on heteronormativity. Our analyses show that the narrative directed towards girls mainly contains a sexual component, with misogynistic and sexist comments.

These findings reflect a broader societal tendency to judge women who achieve success in the public sphere, a tendency that is cultivated from an early age.

Activist Biljana Bejkova of the NGO Infocenter, who advocates for the rights of journalists and women, added that, alongside negative comments, gender-based misinformation should be regarded as a crucial factor in the anti-gender movement, undermining women’s rights. Bejkova elaborates:

These harmful narratives aim to discredit, devalue, and intimidate women. Misinformation about gender not only limits women’s participation in the public sphere but also encourages a culture of intolerance and hatred, which contradicts the basic democratic principles of equality and justice. Taking this into account, it is extremely important to recognize these narratives and misinformation as part of broader efforts to undermine gender equality and develop strategies for their prevention and eradication.

It’s imperative to take the situation seriously and demand immediate action from both authorities and the media. The authorities should strengthen legal frameworks and ensure that laws against gender-based hate speech are enforced effectively, with appropriate penalties for violations. Meanwhile, the media must promote a public discourse that is respectful and does not tolerate attacks on women. They should maintain professional standards in reporting and control comments on the relevant platforms. Only through this approach can we create a safer and more supportive environment where women feel empowered to actively participate in public life, contributing to gender equality and social progress.

Sara Milenkovska, a gender equality researcher and co-founder of the Stela network, explained that hate speech against women has become so normalized in North Macedonia that it is now part of the standard rhetoric used by certain politicians, media outlets, and citizens when discussing women in politics, public life, and even their private lives. She says:

Just look at the results of analysis of hate speech against female politicians during the last elections, which directly affects the will and opportunities for more women to get involved in protecting their rights through politics. However, women in politics are not the only victims of hate speech that also targets women’s bodies and their very existence in public. For example, the Olympic Games and the way different women are talked about shows that hate speech is not only gender-based but also based on inequality in terms of racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia. The inequality that women face is intersectoral, that is, on multiple levels.

Milenkovska also points out that anti-gender movements, along with institutional disinvestment in the fight for a freer and more equal world, only make efforts for change even harder.

A punishable offense 

North Macedonia’s legal framework prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of gender. The North Macedonia Criminal Code lists several crimes motivated by hate speech, including those committed online. The Law on Audio and Audiovisual Media Services prohibits the distribution of media content that incites or promotes discrimination, intolerance, or hatred.

An analysis by Portalb.mk published at the end of 2023 highlighted that, in North Macedonia, cases of online hate speech have increased in recent years, with women, particularly public figures, being the primary victims. Unfortunately, institutions are not doing enough to address this issue despite constant warnings from civil society and international reports.

Written by Metamorphosis Foundation