Botswana Print Media and the Representation of Female Victims of Intimate Partner Homicide: A Critical Discourse Analytical Approach

Abstract

Intimate partner homicide (IPH) has become one of the most challenging socio-cultural issues in contemporary Botswana. This paper seeks to examine how female victims of IPH are represented in the Botswana print media. Drawing on data collected from 63 newspaper articles published in four Botswana newspapers between January 2010 and December 2013, the study found that the Botswana print media outlets generally do not represent female victims of IPH in a fair manner as they maintain denigration, degradation and infantilisation of women in their reports. At a macro level, this representation seems to be influenced by an embedded patriarchal ideology. At a micro level, media coverage of intimate femicide tends to sensationalise the causes of passion killings by employing a victim-blaming frame in the representations of the female victims. Using a Critical Discourse Analytical approach, we argue that this mode of media representation does not only maintain the existing gender inequality but also reinforces, perpetuates and naturalises a vicious gender circle. While media reports may have translated the embedded patriarchal ideology to its reporting on the female victims of IPH, we suggest that efforts to achieve gender equality should involve public education including gender-sensitive reporting by public and private print media.

Tertiary EFL Female and Male Students’ Perception in Speaking Class: Gender-based Violence Issue

“…The discourse of gender context and experiences leading to sharpen learners' critical thinking. Bagai and Faimau (2021) state that discourse produces and reproduces knowledge and power in certain condition and experience of people.…”

Towards Dismantling Patriarchy in the Kibera Slum, Kenya: Narrative Accounts of Victims of Intimate Partner Violence

“…Seminal and current research establishes patriarchy as a major contributing factor to IPV (Abouelenin 2022;Bagai and Faimau 2021;DeKeseredy 2021;Dery 2021;Dobash and Dobash 1979;Heise 1998;Ince-Yenilmez 2020;Lelaurain et al 2018;Ozaki and Otis 2017). Patriarchy denotes a system of social structures and practices in which men dominate and oppress women (Akgul 2017).…”

“…Research on IPV and patriarchy is carried out across the globe. Progressively, research on IPV and patriarchy within the African context is being emphasized (Abouelenin 2022;Bagai and Faimau 2021;Dery 2021;Nwoke and Nwosu 2020;Obwanda 2014). However, very little attention is given to empirical insights into overcoming patriarchy within the context of Kenyan informal settlements.…”