Gender inequality underpins GBV. The way that GBV is framed in the media directly affects the way society perceives and evaluates the phenomenon. The representation of the complexity of gender inequality, the wider context of violence, the impact on survivors, and the competing narratives of ‘victimhood’ against the need to recognise the intersectionality and power dynamics underlying GBV, need to be handled with care, thought and specialist guidance.

Against this backdrop, the Share-Net Netherlands’ Community of Practice on GBV set out to gain a better understanding on the status of GBV reporting in Dutch printed media.

This report reflects on the following research questions:

• How can GBV be framed in a way that is free from harmful gender norms and stigma?
• How is gender based violence currently being framed in Dutch printed media?

The findings are drawn from interviews with Dutch Journalists and a qualitative analysis of 112 articles from eight Dutch national newspapers covering the time frame of March to September 2021.

Read the full report (in English) here, and in Dutch/Nederlands here.