Press Freedom Status for Women Journalists: October 2021
Throughout the month of October 2021, The Coalition For Women In Journalism documented 40 cases of violations against women journalists. Types of violations include detentions, legal harassment, and physical assaults in the field, among other various kinds of press freedom attacks towards women journalists reporting from different parts of the world.
At least 19 journalists faced physical assault
Italy: Journalist Flavia Amabile was attacked while she was covering a protest in Rome against Covid-19 vaccinations and mandatory health pass. Learn more.
Kosovo: At least five women journalists were attacked by protesters with rocks, Molotov cocktails and pyrotechnic devices. Read further details.
Palestine: Journalist Nisreen Salem was physically assaulted and racially abused by officers of the Israel Defense Force while at a check post. Further details available here.
Turkey: The police physically assaulted 12 women journalists covering student protests in İstanbul. Click here for the full story.
One journalist received threats:
Canada: CBC journalist Meghan Grant alongside NDP MLA Shannon Phillips received retaliatory threats from officers of Lethbridge Police Service for exposing misconduct within the police force. Read more details.
One journalist was expelled from work:
United States: In a recent interview given to a US publication, sports journalist Liz Habib opened up about the rampant exploitation in sports journalism and the undue pressure women sports journalists have to face to survive in the industry. Continue reading the story.
One woman journalist was attacked in the field:
Turkey: Journalists Büşra Taşkıran was restricted by the police during their street interview in Ankara. More details available here.
One case of threats and intimidation came to light:
Kazakhstan: HOLA News editor-in-chief Zarina Akhmatova and founders Alisher Kaidarov and Adilet Tursynbek were forced to resign after the website of the independent news network was made widely inaccessible for users. Find out more.
Seven cases of legal harassment were recorded:
Russia: Four women journalists belonging to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) were tagged as 'Foreign Media Agents' by the Justice Ministry. Learn about its repercussions here.
Russia: Galina Arapova was added to the list 'Foreign Media Agents' by the Justice Ministry. Read about the case.
Turkey: Journalist Derya Okatan appeared in court to defend herself against charges of spreading false propaganda. Click here for more details.
Turkey: A legal inquiry has been initiated against ETHA’s Pınar Gayıp under charges of “targeting a counter-terrorism official”. Pınar reported army sergeant Musa Orhan’s rape of İpek Er, who later died by suicide. Read more.
One woman journalist faced online harassment:
Argentina: Journalist Sandra Borghi was targeted by imposters who stole her identity on social media. Read the full story.
While at least six faced an organized troll campaign
Canada: Journalist Saba Eitizaz received misogynist, racist and threatening emails as part of a malicious campaign launched against women journalists and women in color. Learn more.
Canada: Freelance sports journalist Shireen Ahmed and CBC host Angela Sterritt were targeted during a widespread digital hate campaign against journalists of color. Continue reading.
Canada: Tanya Hayles received hateful emails by right-wing trolls as part of a widespread campaign against women journalists and journalists of color. Further details here.
Canada: Ashleigh-Rae Thomas was targeted with vile racist emails by right-wing trolls as part of an organized campaign to intimidate women journalists and journalists of color. Find out more.
Pakistan: Prominent broadcast journalist and Coalition For Women In Journalism member Asma Shirazi was hit by yet another state-backed organized troll campaign. Read the details.
One woman journalist faced a sexist attack:
Russia: President of Russia Vladimir Putin made sexist remarks against CNBC journalist Hadley Gamble during an interview. Click here for more details.
One woman journalist had to confront sexual harassment:
United Kingdom: BBC journalist Fiona Irving was interrupted by seven men during her live broadcast who ran across the camera screaming sexist remarks against the journalist. Read the full story.
And one woman faced a racist attack:
United States: Conservative YouTube personality Steven Crowder targeted KPIX 5 reporter Betty Yu with racist remarks in a video published on his channel. Read more.
Two women journalists faced verbal harassment:
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Milorad Dodik, the Serbian member of the tripartite presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, verbally attacked N1 journalist Sladjana Jaserevic. Find out more about the case.
Pakistan: Iqra Nasir was targeted with vile abuses when she tried to intervene in the spat between two former cricket superstars about whose sporting side was better. Read the full story.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is proud of the safety network it has established for women journalists around the world. We reached out to Stefanie Medina and she spoke to us about the importance of women journalists’ contribution to the field.
“One of the almost magical privileges of this job is to be able to give you the license to try (and almost always achieve) that unknown people, and that you will probably not see again, tell you their story and if possible, open their hearts to you. It is, for me, the most beautiful thing about being a journalist. Being a woman and a journalist is not a winning deck. Insults, when there are any, are sexist and many times it is believed that our prowess or professional evolution is not due to our merits and intelligence. It remains to look straight ahead and continue to show that talent, even if it is uncomfortable, should not be hidden and that being a woman and a journalist can be a tool for change, to achieve a more just, equitable, and informed world,” she said.
As the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists approaches, the CFWIJ stresses that while the attacks on journalists go unpunished, attacks on women journalists often also go unnoticed. The CFWIJ stands against all kinds of violations faced by women journalists across the globe. We extend support to women journalists, who face double persecution because of both their gender and their reportage.
"The Coalition For Women In Journalism has been documenting the harassment and intimidation of female journalists around the world, which helps highlight the various challenges they face. The government pays no attention to complaints of threats and officials are often seen justifying the intimidation of journalists, which serves to normalise these attacks on press freedom. Networks like CFWIJ therefore play an important role in pressuring the authorities to act and protect journalists," says Pakistani journalist Ailia Zehra.
If you would like to request more insight into our findings, or would like to suggest an addition to our work reach out to us at data@womeninjournalism.org. For media inquiries reach out to us at press@womeninjournalism.org.