On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, on 25 November 2024, the Gender and Diversity Expert Group (GENDEG) of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) calls for urgent action to prevent and stop violence against women journalists, both offline and online.
Across Europe, women journalists face unacceptable harassment, threats, and physical, psychological, and sexual attacks in their workplace and on the job. To address this issue effectively, we must first remedy the lack of comprehensive data on gender-based violence in journalism.
“It is our responsibility, as unions, to work together to prevent and create awareness on the violence women journalists are suffering daily, sometimes silently, and to do that we need first of all data on how many women are facing it and how it is being reported,” said the Chair of GENDEG, Elena Tarifa.
To fill this data gap, the EFJ is launching an online survey on violence against European journalists, with a special focus on gender and diversity-based violence in newsrooms. This survey will be distributed to EFJ member unions and aims to compile data on current and past cases of violence, and assess how these cases are being addressed
The survey results will be presented on 8 March 2025, and will serve as a basis for future research into violence against journalists.
The EFJ urges its member unions and media companies to implement zero-tolerance policies towards gender-based violence, take immediate steps to create safe working environments, prioritize prevention and awareness-raising initiatives, put in place tools and services for reporting violence and provide adequate support to affected women journalists.
We also call on European institutions and governments to fully implement existing instruments to combat gender-based violence and ensure all member states adhere to:
- The Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW);
- ILO Convention C 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work;
- UN Security Council Resolutions 2222/2015 and 1738/2006, which condemn attacks against journalists in armed conflicts;
By taking these steps, we can work towards creating a safer and more equitable environment for women journalists across Europe and beyond.
Source: EFJ