Violence against women journalists is a freedom expression problem

Author Moonshot.news

Published on: 23/11/2023

Violence against women journalists is a freedom of expression issue. Globally, 1 in 3 women experiences physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. And women journalists are at even greater risk: between half and two-thirds have experienced gender-based harassment and abuse, whether in their workplaces, when out reporting, or online, says freedom-of-expression organisation Article 19 in a statement.

The International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women that is observed on 25 November and followed by a 16 days international campaign against gender-based violence. The campaign is supported by the United Nations through its initiative, UNITE by 2030 to End Violence against Women.

Article 19 says that violence against women journalists is intended to silence women and lock them out of public spaces. 

“Violence against women journalists – as with violence against all women – does not occur in a vacuum. It is inextricable from a broader social context of sexism, misogyny, and gender inequality.” 

“To make women safer, our leaders must therefore invest in prevention efforts that tackle these root causes. That’s why Article 19 supports the UN’s call for governments to take action to prevent gender-based violence, including increasing funding for women-led and women-focused initiatives.”

UN Women says that some 736 million women — almost one in three — have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both, at least once in their lives. 

“More than four in five women and girls (86%) are living in countries without robust legal protection, or in countries for which data are not readily available.”

“No country is within reach of eradicating intimate partner violence. Despite the scale of the problem and these worrying trends, financial commitments to violence prevention remain limited.” 

“We urge everyone to call on leaders worldwide to increase investments in preventing violence from happening in the first place.”

UN Women says that 5 essential facts about femicide are:

1. Women and girls are most likely to be killed by those closest to them
2. Femicide is a universal problem. In 2022, Africa recorded the largest absolute number of female intimate partner and family related killings with an estimated 20,000 victims; followed by 18,400 in Asia; 7,900 in the Americas; 2,300 in Europe; and 200 in Oceania.
3. The true scale of femicide is likely much higher. Too many victims of femicide still go uncounted: for roughly four in ten intentional murders of women and girls, there is not enough information to identify them as gender-related killings because of national variation in criminal justice recording and investigation practices.
4. Some groups of women and girls face greater risk. Women in the public eye, including those in politics, women human rights defenders and journalists are often targets of intentional acts of violence, both online and offline, with some leading to fatal outcomes and intentional killings.
5. Femicide can and must be prevented. Early intervention and risk assessment, access to survivor-centered support and protection as well as gender-responsive policing and justice services are key to ending gender-related killings of women and girls. 

European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) has estimated that the cost of gender-based violence across the EU is €366 billion a year. 

Violence against women makes up 79 % of this cost, amounting to €289 billion. Intimate partner violence makes up almost half (48 %, €174 billion) of the cost of gender based violence. Intimate partner violence against women makes up 87 % of this sum (€151 billion).