My Dear Unwanted: A Presentation by Jovana Davidovic

Watch the presentation of our Fellow, Jovana Davidovic, on the media discourse on sex-selective abortions in Montenegro.

Beliefs based on patriarchy have different manifestations, from gender-insensitive language to discriminatory and prejudiced behavior. While consequences of patriarchy are observable and well-studied, less attention is dedicated to the background of patriarchal beliefs and to actors that contribute to their development or suppression. Jovana Davidocic’s research addresses this gap with the following research questions: Which individuals are prone to patriarchal beliefs? How does media contribute to reinforcement or restrainment of patriarchy? How does media report about cases that reflect discrimination and prejudices towards women?

The presentation investigates these research questions through the issue of sex-selective abortion (SSA), and looks at the media discourse on SSA in Montenegro, the country that is placed among leading countries in the world with significantly distorted sex ratio at birth. The research aims to discover patterns in public presentation of women, and point to the crucial role the media have in disseminating reliable and balanced information on significant and worrisome tendencies, such as SSA.

Watch the presentation: