Over 20% Female Journalists Have Suffered Sexual Violence: Report

More than 20 percent of female journalists who were surveyed have experienced some sort of sexual violence whilst they carried out their work, according to a recent report.

The report, named "Violence and Harassment Against Women in the News Media: a Global Picture", is based on the findings of a global survey on harassment and violence against female media workers. The survey covered 1,078 people from around the world, 977 of whom said they were females.

The survey was conducted jointly by the International News Safety Institute (INSI) and the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) in August 2013 and was supported by U.N.'s cultural and scientific wing, UNESCO.

The report provides the first comprehensive picture of the dangers faced by many women working in news media around the world. It describes the types of violence and threats that female journalists encounter and considers how these incidents affect their ability to conduct their profession.

According to the report, about 14 percent of the female journalists said they had experienced sexual violence related to their work. Only about 19 percent of those surveyed said they had reported any sexual violence to their employer, the police or another organization. About 21 percent said they had experienced physical violence related to their work.

About 20 percent reported that they had been targeted by "email or other digital or online account hacking," about 20 percent reported "phone tapping," about 17 percent reported "hacking of websites and others." Furthermore, about 30 percent  said their organizations took measures to ensure their personal security, while about 31 percent said they were offered emotional support or professional counseling after experiencing harassment or violence during work.

Among the 310 cases of physical violence reported, the most frequent were "pushing," "shoving," and "assault with an object or weapon." About 45 percent of cases took place "in the field," and others included "in the street" (26 percent) and "in the office" (18 percent).

(Source: China Women's News/Translated and edited by Women of China)