Feminists condemn propagandistic coverage by media of Guchigov's marriage

The Russian media highlighted the scandalous wedding in Chechnya with bias, and the editor's policies of the most media have not been aimed at protecting the Goylabieva's rights. This opinion has been expressed by participants of the "round table" on the topic "Discussion of the practice of forced marriages of minors: role of journalists, media, and civil society in the struggle for the rights of children and women" held today in Moscow.

On May 16, in Grozny, Nazhud Guchigov, the chief of the ROVD (District Interior Division) of the Nozhai-Yurt District of Chechnya, and 17-year-old Kheda (Louiza) Goylabieva got married. It has been reported that the girl has been forced to marry and that caused a public resonance in Chechnya. It was reported that, according to some sources, the police chief wanted to marry the girl as his second wife.

According to journalist Natalia Bitten, an activist of the initiative group "For Feminism", when highlighting "the wedding of the millennium", the media "mainly focused on the great age difference between bride and groom." Meanwhile, Natalia Bitten has noted that the journalists, who defended the rights of the minor, "had been called the hypocrites."

"It turns out that at present, one of the major trends is that 'tradition is more important than the law.' This position was also supported by the authorities," said the activist of the initiative group "For Feminism".

According to Galina Mikhalyova, the Secretary of the political council of the "Yabloko" Party, the situation is also indirectly affected by the problem of the existence of the terrorist organization "Islamic State", in which violations of women's rights are ubiquitous.

"This affects those people, who acquire from the 'IS' a 'wonderful' experience, including in respect of women. At present, we already face the situation when residents of Russia accept the standards earlier considered unthinkable. And if we do not react, it will become a norm," Galina Mikhalyova said.

It is necessary to further monitor situation in connection with ‘the wedding of the millennium’, so that we could adequately assess possible threats for journalists security, Nadezhda Ajgikhina, vice president of the European Journalists Federation said at the round-table meeting.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.