Two-thirds of women journalists face abuse

About two-thirds of women journalists have experienced abuse, harassment or threats at work, according to the first global survey on violence against women working in media organisations.

The survey by Washington-based International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) and London-based International News Safety Institute included 822 women media workers interviewed between July and late November this year.

It found that the majority of threats, intimidation and abuse directed towards women media workers occurred in the work place and were committed by male bosses, supervisors and co-workers, according to a press release issued by IWMF.

"It is shocking to see that more than half (64.48 per cent) of the 822 women journalists who responded to our survey have experienced some sort of 'intimidation, threats or abuse' in relation to their work," said Elisa Lees Munoz, executive director of the IWMF.

The survey found that the majority of women who are harassed do not report what has happened to them, despite the fact that more than half of them confirmed that the experience had a psychological impact, the release said.

Of the respondents, 82 per cent were reporters with 49 per cent working in newspapers, 24 per cent in magazines, 21 per cent in TV and 16 per cent in radio.

Almost 29 per cent of the respondents worked in Asia and the Pacific, over 21 per cent in North America, 19 per cent in Europe, about 13 per cent in Africa, 11 per cent in Latin and South America, and 5 per cent in Arab states.

The survey was carried out with funding from the Government of Austria and supported by UNESCO.