Sexism in the City

It’s almost impossible for the modern audience to turn a blind eye to when a teen becomes a victim, but on the other side, they tend to completely look over the problem of abused women. This is what the author Lesley Abdela says in her essay. She is seeking change due to all the inequalities of news converge. She is asking us to seek change, and she shows this through statistics and rhetorical questions. Now then should we continue to show the one thing that is common, or should we finally uncover what the world has thought to be unimportant. Using statistics and rhetorical questions, Lesley Abdela criticizes the inequality of media coverage in regard to violence towards women, and in doing so advocates for change.

Lesley Abdela further points out the injustice of media coverage towards domestic violence using rhetorical questions. After explaining the media’s extensive fixation with teen stabbings, she asks the reader, “Why… [doesn’t] the media cover the violent murders of women killed by their partners in the same way?” (The Guardian). Abdela points out a truth in society that is skipped over and pushed under the rug with a question. Her genius in this is that a question left hanging forces us to fill in the blanks, and once we have filled in the blank it is impossible for us to continue to skip over the issue.

Lesley continues her point, asking, “Is it that the media and British society consider the murder of a teenage youth more shocking than the murder of a woman by her once-nearest and dearest?” (The Guardian). Using this question, Abdela seeks to create sympathy for the murdered women. Once one feels sympathy for those women, it is easy to see the injustice in their story not getting equal coverage. Thus, through rhetorical questions Abdela shows us the unfairness of media coverage for women and seeks for change to be made.

Using statistics, Lesley Abdela argues that abuse against women should be covered more in media. In the text, she uses specific statistical points to show the rates of numbers of murder and violence against women. The media tends to cover many more stories of youth murder and violence, and make it seem more urgent and important. However, there is a clear difference when covering women’s deaths. The media deals with it as if it is not as important as teen victims. Lesley uses statistics to communicate that the people and media should pay more attention to crimes related to women.

Overall, Lesley Abdela communicates that the world should recognize women and bring equality in media coverage. Through the uses of rhetorical questions and statistics, she explains the inequalities that women face, even in media. Although both teen death and abuse against women happen, the media tends to focus mainly on the youth instead of the women. Lesley criticizes this inequality and demands for change. This article should be an important reminder in our daily lives, because in our society, equality is deemed supremely important. If we look over an issue of an entire gender, problems can arise, and the equality is destroyed. This absence of equality is exactly why the author wrote this: to pursue equality for women.

-B. Lit. Group Six

#Postmodern