Sexism is No Better in Canada
Rathika Sitsabaiesan, a Minister of Parliament representing Scarborough-Rouge River in Ontario, was the target of media sexism when photo-editing to her official parliamentary photo became the subject of international media attention. In the official photo that appeared on the Parliament’s website, Sitsabaiesan’s cleavage had been edited out of the photo. Minister Sitsabaiesan was disturbed by the attention the photo-editing received saying, “if the photo were of a man and his image had been tampered with, it likely wouldn’t be an issue.”
The reason for the photo-editing is still unknown, though some critics say it was to make her appear less womanly, but what is at issue here is that the scandal has taken center stage over Minister Sitsabaiesan’s work in Parliament. “This is exactly the sort of thing that we are focusing more on . . . how [women] appear and less on what’s actually coming out of their mouths. We need to focus on the real issues at hand,” Sitsabaiesan said in an interview with thestar.com.
Most male government representatives receive media attention for bills they pass through the legislature or public appearances they make. It is unfair for the media to devote so much attention to something like this and not to the Minister’s policies. If a photo of a male official had been cropped or edited to make him appear a certain way, it would never become the subject of international media attention. Politicians should be judged by what they say and do, NOT for their gender or physical traits.
Published by Kate McCarthy on 10/11/2011