The Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies has officially complained to the Journalism Ethics Committee about some articles that objectify female candidates and reinforce gender stereotypes.
The Institute says these articles use terms like “model” or “political Barbie,” focusing on women’s looks instead of their political roles and skills. They argue that this goes against Article 13 of the Journalism Code of Ethics, which addresses gender discrimination.
The announcement emphasizes that journalism should support human rights and encourage equal participation of women in public life, as objectifying candidates can discourage their involvement.
The Institute is calling on Cypriot media to adopt internal ethics codes and train staff on gender sensitivity. They also urge the government to improve gender education for journalists. Cyprus ranks last in Europe for Gender Equality in political representation, showing a clear need to combat journalistic sexism. The Journalism Ethics Committee will now look into the reported articles and check for any violations of the code.
