Women of all backgrounds in Uganda are at risk of and experience various forms of abuse. In Uganda, one in three women has experienced some form of physical and or sexual violence in her lifetime and this does not include sexual harassment. Women who face multiple forms of discrimination based on their race, ethnicity, disability, civil status (e.g. migrant), sexual orientation and other characteristics may be at higher risk or experience abuse differently.
This is also the case for women in professions that challenge social norms, the status quo and power dynamics within society, such as women politicians, human rights defenders and women journalists. Of particular concern, is the alarming levels of online violence that women journalists face on a regular basis, including: trolling, doxing, non-consensual sharing of images, cyber-stalking and threats against them and their families. The violence that they face is a gross violation of their human rights, curtails freedom of speech and expression (principles of democracy and pluralism) and gravely affects their professional engagements and ability to work.Women journalists are affected by gender-specific safety risks such as sexual harassment, sexual violence and threats of violence. Recent studies have shown that women journalists are particularly affected by online harassment
THarassment against women journalists often takes the form of personal attacks, which tend not to focus on the content of the journalist’s reporting, but rather on the woman’s character or body parts, and in more extreme cases include threats of sexual violence. In a survey conducted by WOMA, women journalists and media workers revealed that nearly two out of three respondents stated that they had been threatened or harassed online at least once. Among them, around 45 percent said they avoided reporting certain stories because of online harassment. 60 percent of the women journalists surveyed stated that they already been threatened or harassed in person, while 29% indicated that they had been physically attacked.
WOMA implements a number of training activities aimed at enhancing capacities of women journalists to protect themselves against and to deal with harassment. WOMA also conducts capacity-building trainings for media managers, where we sensitize participants to the issue and encourage them to adopt safety protocols for cases of gender-based harassment of women journalists.
In order to raise awareness for gender-based harassment of women journalists online and offline, and to show how journalists around the country resist and fight back against threats and abuse, WOMA publishes stories which consists of personal narratives by women journalists who have experienced gender-based harassment or violence. The stories shines a light on the manifold forms of online and offline threats, s and underlines their resilience and resourcefulness in developing counter initiatives.
WOMAN pprovides practical tips for women journalists on how to minimize risks, while covering sensitive and dangerous assignments. We develop guidelines that underscores the importance of physical, psychosocial and digital safety and security.
WOMA develops training materials on the safety of women journalists which includes a specific focus on gender-specific threats, both offline and online.