Swiss media house apologises for sexist coverage of Dr Ngozi

Swiss media house apologises for sexist coverage of #Dr.NgoziOkonjo

What you need to know:

  • A Swiss news outlet has apologised over the sexist and racist coverage of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
  • CH Media ran a story in its three print editions and corresponding online versions headlining the 66-year-old Harvard graduate as a “grandmother”, to head the global trade body.
  • The UN Women leaders and 124 ambassadors in Geneva signed a petition calling out the racist and sexist coverage.

A Swiss news outlet has apologised over its sexist and racist coverage of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who was recently confirmed Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

A week ago, CH Media ran a story in its three print editions and corresponding online versions headlining the 66-year-old Harvard graduate as a “grandmother”, to head the global trade body.

This drew global outrage among women leaders, especially diplomats and those in the UN leadership.

In retaliation, the UN Women leaders and 124 ambassadors in Geneva signed a petition calling out the racist and sexist coverage.

Outstandingly, UN senior African group (Unsag) including  UN Women, Executive Director, Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka; UNAids chief Ms Winnie Byanyima and UN Economic Commission for Africa Executive Secretary Ms Vera Songwe, were angered by the remarks.

In a letter quoted in a Guardian article, they expressed their disappointment noting that the coverage was “offensive, sexist and racist in a world where both public and private sector leadership is dominated by ageing Caucasian men who are revered for the experience and skills they bring and have never been characterised by their lineage and offspring”.

Leadership positions

Ms Ngcuka further exemplified the gender stereotyped coverage as including the harassment that discourages women from taking up leadership positions because “they don’t need this nonsense.”

In an apology letter dated February 26, and shared by Dr Iweala, the media company’s Foreign Editor-in-Chief, Mr Samuel Schumacher, termed the headline of the article that appeared in Aargauer Zeitung, Luzerner Zeitung and St. Galler Tagblatt newspapers and their online editions as “inappropriate and unsuitable.”

He exonerated the author of the article Mr Jan Dirk Herbermann from the accusation of the ‘negative’ headline, placing it on the editorial team.

“We did not inform Mr Herbermann about this headline. Therefore, Mr Herbermann is not in any way responsible for this headline,” Mr Schumacher said of their Geneva based correspondent.

The Foreign Editor-in-Chief said the writer had submitted the article with the headline “For the first time an African woman moves to the top of the WTO”, which the editors did not use.

 Dr Iweala was receptive of the apology saying in her tweet on Monday: “It is important and timely that they’ve apologised.”