The International News Safety Institute (INSI) last month launched a global survey on violence against women journalists. The initiative is in collaboration with United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as part of its programme on the promotion of the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity. Women Journalist and other media workers are invited to participate in the survey.
Hannah Storm, Director of INSI said: “In many parts of the world, women are threatened and attacked for the work they do – work which, in some cultures and countries, challenges gender stereotypes.”
According to her, these attacks take the form in sexual assaults, rapes, cyber-bullying, emotional harassment and threats against their loved ones. “Sadly, many of these crimes are not reported as a result of powerful cultural and professional stigmas,” she added.
The findings of the survey will serve as the basis for INSI to work further with field experts, which will be followed by a series of recommendations to increase the safety of women journalists.
The survey itself will contribute to the “UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity” which is based on a multi-stakeholder approach to create a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers, both in conflict and non-conflict situations.
The survey can be accessed at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/INSIsurvey2013 and closes on September 20, 2013.
In over 10 years, INSI has trained thousands of journalists around the world, providing safety advice and training to male and female journalists working in dangerous situations.
The survey is supported by the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs and was created together with the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF). It is aimed at looking into the global situation of female journalists and the nature of the dangers they face in connection with their work.
