A study jointly done by the International Press Centre (IPC) and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) with financial support from ifex, has revealed that sexual advances, threats, intimidation and poor welfare among others threaten the operation of female journalists in Nigeria.
According to the groups, the challenges Nigerian female journalists face are devised physically, with a few happening online.
The study sampled 20 female journalists who work specifically in print, broadcast, online/new media, multimedia and media development agency. Fifty per cent of the respondents (40% from radio, and 10% from television) were from broadcast media. Respondents from the print media constitute 25%, while online/new media comes third with 20%, with 5% from multimedia and other channels.
“The sample population of 20 respondents were female journalists who work specifically in print, broadcast (both radio and TV), online/new media, multimedia and media development agency. Fifty per cent of the respondents were from broadcast media, thus constituting the largest group of respondents while 40% were from radio, and 10% from television. Respondents from the print media constitute 25% of the respondents while online/new media comes third with 20% of the respondents,” the report says.
The findings revealed that 55% of the respondents identified poor welfare as the most formidable challenge to their safety which includes non-provision of safe transport, especially for late commuting to home and early morning shifts in the office, gender-based discrimination as well as lack of job security.
It added that 50% of the sampled female journalists pointed sexual harassment; while lack of institutional support was 35% and job security 30% as 2% had experienced cyberbullying.
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The report explained that other safety challenges itemised by the journalists were in connection with covering elections in volatile parts of the country such as threats, hateful feedback, police brutality, bullying, frequent sexual harassment from superiors and being shoved away while trying to get an interview.
“Officers and others who believe that my body should be substituted for information. I have been denied accreditation and sometimes access to the organizations by these PROs because I refused to dance to their tune,” one of the respondents revealed.
The report suggested that employers should pay greater attention to the welfare of their female journalists by establishing newsroom safety measures that can address sexual harassment and intimidation.
It also recommended the creation of safe reporting platforms for women and forums where the rights of women can be discussed and defended while pressure groups for female journalists should be formed and widely publicised as well.
