Why Have 73% Of Women Journalists Reported Facing Online Abuse and Harassment?

In an effort to address online abuse and harassment faced by women journalists on the internet, the Coalition Against Online Violence has launched the Online Violence Response Hub, offering resources and data to help women tackle this threat and calling on both men and women to become allies for female workers in the media field.

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Supporting their campaign against cyber abuse that women in general face in the virtual world, particularly women known to the public, the Coalition Against Online Violence interviewed several journalists who talked about their personal struggles with cyber attacks throughout the years.

The online awareness campaign cites a global survey conducted by UNESCO and the International Center for Journalists, which shows that 73% of women journalists around the world have reported dealing with online abuse and harassment during their active years, 20% of which have turned into offline attacks.

The campaign also highlights results of studies by the International Women's Media Foundation, in which one in three women journalists said they considered leaving the profession due to online attacks and threats.

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Such results show that the growing sense of hostility against women journalists around the world are also supported by a growing threat of life against female journalists in conflict zones, such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and others, where dozens of women lost their lives on an annual basis, merely for persuing political developments are reporting them to the public.

Over the last several months, attacks against Afghan female journalists have escalated notably, coinciding with growing military control of the Taliban, the extremist militant group that had banned women's education during their reign of the country in the 1990s.