Complaint
In an introduction to a report about fighting in Sudan the presenter Evan Davis used the term “gender-based violence” to explain what was happening there. A listener complained this was a term used by activists who believe sex is not binary and indicated Mr Davis’s personal view on a controversial matter. The ECU considered whether there had been a breach of the BBC’s editorial standards of impartiality or accuracy.
Outcome
The report looked at an aspect of the ongoing fighting in Sudan between the country’s military and a group called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Mr Davis summarised this as follows:
Now there have been harrowing stories of the violence experienced by women in the conflict. Those affected have spoken of how rape is used as a weapon of revenge against some members of the country’s Black African community. The UN says there are reports the RSF, whose origins lie in Arab militia groups, has employed gender-based violence to subjugate, terrorise, break and punish women and girls.
In the ECU’s view listeners would have been in no doubt it was women and girls who were the victims of the violence in question. It did not agree listeners would infer Mr Davis was “promoting his personal belief in gender identity ideology” or was using the “language of activists” as no mention was made of gender identity and there was no reference to transgender people in the programme.
Not Upheld