The most alarming aspect of our monitoring of attacks against women journalists in Africa is the disproportionately high number of extreme violations, including physical assaults, detentions, abductions, and killings. 

Over the past five years, from 2019 to 2024, the global landscape for women journalists covering protests has become increasingly dangerous. Data from Women Press Freedom reveals over 300 incidents of physical assaults on women reporters during demonstrations, with law enforcement responsible for most of these attacks.

The Turkish government continues to weaponize the judicial system to harass and target women journalists critical of its rule. Legal harassment has become a favored tool under the Erdoğan administration, with Women Press Freedom’s documentation showing that it accounts for 29% of all violations against women journalists since 2019.

Women Press Freedom identifies transnational repression as a significant threat to journalists who have fled authoritarian regimes, highlighting the increased use of tactics like surveillance, harassment, and violence to silence dissent beyond national borders.