Appalled by the information and the views shared by the journalist Dragan Pavlović – Latas in the first show of Stefan Lazarov’s podcast, the member organisations of the Gender Equality Platform react to the speech aired in the podcast and demand that the streaming of this podcast be terminated. We believe that the podcast is mainstreaming gender-based violent behaviour exemplified by Latas’s experience, which, for him, is a normal way for 15-year-old boys to have their first sexual experience. At the same time, we condemn the statement given in the media by the podcast’s host, Stefan Lazarov, who, rather than refraining himself from such content, actually supported Latas’s speech.
The show, recorded during a livestreaming on 14.02.2023, has had more than 125 thousand views over the last 5 days. As the Gender Equality Platform, we believe that the large number of views of this show impacts the general opinion, especially among young people, who can easily arrive at the conclusion that “slapping a girl” before the sexual intercourse, according to Latas’s and Lazarov’s statements, is completely normal behaviour of boys, without ever taking any responsibility or suffering any consequences for such an act. Although the podcast description specifies that hate speech and racism are not allowed, this show includes exactly such narrative, which is why, as members of the Platform, we demand that it be deleted from this social media video platform and that the streaming of this controversial podcast be completely stopped.
It is clear from what the public could witness that Dragan Pavlović – Latas and Stefan Lazarov are supporters of violent behaviour and degradation of women during sexual intercourse. They use their platforms for promoting and mainstreaming violence against women. As advocates of preserving the “traditional values”, we ask whether raping and boasting about it is a value they defend and promote?!
We welcome the reaction of the Cybercrime Department of the Ministry of Interior in that they notified the Skopje Public Prosecutor’s Office of the interview conducted by the youtuber Stefan Lazarov with Dragan Pavlović – Latas. We demand from the Public Prosecutor’s Office to take action within the legal deadlines and press criminal charges for the offence of disseminating racial and xenophobic material through computer system.
We appeal to the private businesses supporting Stefan Lazarov and using his advertising services to terminate their cooperation with him. Otherwise, with their support to this podcast, they support and enable the spreading of misogyny, gender-based violence, racism and hate speech. Moreover, at the time when combating violence against women requires, among other things, to raise the public awareness, public figures bear particular responsibility in managing this rhetoric and in promoting positive values that will contribute to eradicating the violence, rather than to promoting it.
Member Organizations of the Gender Equality Platform:
- Tiiiit! Inc.
- Fight like a Girl (Bori se zenski)
- Women Civic Initiative – ANTICO
- Women’s Forum
- Association for Equal Opportunities SEMPER
- Association for local and rural development
- Association for Support of Marginalized Workers STAR-STAR
- Association for the Promotion of Gender Equality Akcija Zdruzenska
- Association for Emancipation, Solidarity and Equality of Women – ESE
- Association for Educational Development Ekvalis
- Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities Skopje
- Coalition Margins
- LezFem
- Network for Protection against Discrimination
- National network to end violence against women and domestic violence
- National Council for Gender Equality
- Organization of Women of the City of Skopje (OWS)
- Organization of women of municipality of Sveti Nikole
- Women’s Organization “Kumanovka”
- Reactor – Research in Action
- Rural Coalition
- Stella
- TAKT
- Helsinki Committee for Human Rights
- HERA – Health Education and Research Association
- HOPS – Healthy Options Project Skopje
- Humanitarian Association “Mother”
- Center for Research and Policy Making – CRPM
