When arguments are insufficient, insults and accusations are used instead. Oleksandr Shvets, the head of the NGO “Father Has Rights,” resorted to sexist and misogynistic expressions online. This response follows an investigation published by NGL.media, which reveals how the organization facilitated the abduction of at least 72 children, referring to it as legal aid.
Journalists Mariana Verbovska and Nataliia Onysko investigated the activities of the public organization led by Oleksandr Shvets. They uncovered a scheme revealing how this organization helps facilitate the kidnapping of children from their mothers. The investigators interviewed the affected women, included comments from a lawyer, and detailed the roles within the organization and how this operation actually functions.
After the release of the article, an official response appeared on the Father Has Rights’ page. Sexist and misogynistic quotes from the post were made public by Oleksandra Hubytska, executive director of the independent anti-corruption center NGL.media. The quotes target both women in general and journalists in particular. Here are some of them:
“Women in Ukraine are ready both to suck a dick and write an article, for a buck.”
“In most cases, when a woman spots a new opportunity for better perks, she jumps at it, abandoning her marriage.”
“We are shattering the stereotypes that society, the state, lawyers, and ex-bitches have implanted in men’s minds.”
“Mandolins with broken strings started to wail and complain to the state.”
“The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine allowed those cunts with children to travel abroad freely. While their men are fighting, a huge number of women are hopping from dick to dick in Europe, trying to find a better supporter.”
“The NGO “Father Has Rights” will not let men in Ukraine be turned into weaklings and make Ukraine a tampon-oriented state.”
Also, Father Has Rights calls the anti-corruption investigative resource “women’s Tampax resource” or “Tampax-oriented media resource.” This indicates gender-based harassment of female journalists.
In the comments, he criticizes the journalists’ supposed lack of legal knowledge and their ignorance, stating: “Consult a well-known law firm and you’ll see that your understanding of the law needs improvement. Although your article does include elements that suggest a crime committed by the authors as well. Can you guess which part?”
Journalist Nataliia Onysko says she has encountered this situation for the first time.
“These comments were posted on the open Facebook page of the Father Has Rights group the day after the material was released. I immediately saw that post, as I had subscribed to all the group’s pages during the preparation of the article. Honestly, I don’t view this as online violence or cyberbullying. As of now, no one is breaking into our social media or personal inboxes. Instead, it seems to be a sign of powerlessness and weakness from this group and its leader, Oleksandr Shvets. The comments are clearly not just targeting the authors or our editors but women in general, and they are undoubtedly gender-based. I have never encountered this before. If there are no attempts to hack into my personal accounts, I don’t plan to contact the police,” Nataliia shared.
Mariana Verbovska also has never encountered so many humiliating comments, as she had never written about such an openly misogynistic organization before.
“When we were working on the text, we anticipated a reaction. Now, we’re seeing a wave of hate and misogynistic comments. I view this situation as further confirmation of what our text addresses. The rhetoric of this organization immediately reveals who we are dealing with,” says Mariana.
The journalist also mentions that leading public organizations dedicated to protecting women’s rights have offered legal assistance and the necessary support. If the hate and threats persist, the media women have resources to turn to for support.
Liza Kuzmenko, head of the NGO Women in Media and a member of the Commission on Journalistic Ethics, states that the statements by Father Has Rights aim to discredit the work of women journalists in the public sphere. She describes these comments as misogynistic and intolerable.
“After publishing their investigation, the women journalists faced misogyny and sexism, as evidenced by phrases such as: “Women in Ukraine are ready both to suck a dick and write an article, for a buck,” and NGL is called a “Tampax-oriented media resource”. “The purpose of such online harassment is to discredit female journalists and undermine the professionalism of their work,” says Kuzmenko.
According to Liza Kuzmenko, such statements are unacceptable and violate fundamental principles of human rights and freedom of speech. Journalists have the right to work safely and should not face harassment because of their professional activities. We need to address such cases and provide support and protection for those affected by online violence.
She describes this as a classic example of gender-based online harassment against women in the media. In 2023, Women in Media conducted research on gender-based disinformation targeting Ukrainian female journalists. One type of information attack involves spreading narratives that female journalists can only achieve success through sexual relations with men.
“It is important for society to support independent journalism and acknowledge the contributions of female journalists in uncovering significant social issues. We must raise awareness about gender-based violence and work towards its eradication at all levels,” Lisa Kuzmenko commented.
Regarding the investigation and the activities of Father Has Rights, Liza Kuzmenko finds the situation very disturbing and believes it requires a thorough investigation and legal intervention. Child abduction is a serious crime, and any organization involved in such activities must be held accountable.
The head of Women in Media also reported that she has already offered psychological and financial support to the journalists. In case of direct threats, she will contact law enforcement agencies on behalf of the Women in Media community.
According to the Women Lawyers Association “JurFem,” there is currently no effective mechanism in Ukraine to protect women from gender-based violence in the digital sphere. At the same time, the Istanbul Convention, which Ukraine has ratified, stipulates that any manifestations of gender-based violence against women should be prosecuted by law, whether they occur offline or online.
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