CFWIJ Safety Advisory For Women Journalists
Date: January 25, 2020The Coalition For Women In Journalism keeps a close watch on the threats, risks and dangerous that women journalists while reporting from around the world. Journalists who are covering conflict areas or sensitive regions often expose themselves to heightened risks.
Our safety advisory offers pragmatic advice on how women journalists can navigate these dangerous spaces as they cover these important yet perilous events and stories.
Safety Advisory for Journalists in Iraq
Press card first - Do not travel to any conflict area without proper accreditation. If you are employed with a media outlet then ensure that you place the proper requests for a press card. If you are a freelancer, you can get a press card from organizations such as IFJ and OPC.
Local authentication - It is of great importance that you acquire the proper accreditation as a journalist with Iraqi authorities as well. Not doing so can present serious problems for your work.
The right visa - Having the right visa is key to ensuring your safety in a country. If you are found to be carrying out journalistic work you could land in serious trouble with the authorities. Look up the necessary information needed and procure a journalist visa before your travels.
Find a local coordinator - someone with on-ground knowledge can help you
Managing documents - Important documents, including your passport, insurance, and other similar information, must be carried at all times. You will be subjected to multiple security checks, especially in conflict regions, and not having the right documents could become a problem.
Emergency contacts - Your information and details about your itinerary should be shared with an emergency contact. Should you get into trouble or go missing, this contact can help mobilize help sooner rather than later.
Blend in - Keep your identity as concealed as possible as you are travelling. Only declare that you are a journalist if it absolutely necessary. Journalists can be identified through certain markers. For instance, do not carry backpacks because they put you apart as an outsider. You could face violence, abduction and more if you are identified as a journalist.
Permits - Places that are cordoned off to the public can at times prove difficult to access for journalists as well. Ensure that you have the needed permits in place before you travel.
Insurance - If you are going to Iraq on an assignment from your employer then ensure that you have the right safety, financial and legal coverage in place. Freelancers who wish to cover the onground crisis without these resources will find themselves at a serious disadvantage later.
Local security - Investing in local security could prove useful to journalists. It serves as an added layer of protection, and personal security personnel can help them navigate local spaces in a better fashion.
Equipment and Digital security - Information and data on your devices such as images, recordings (video and audio), and sensitive correspondence should always be kept under protection. Use encryption to keep data safe, and regularly wipe your devices for any traceable data. Ensure that you periodically backup your data.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ. Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.