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Women’s right to freedom of expression requires them to be equally able to share their ideas and opinions – online and offline – without censorship or fear of retaliation, which can drive them out of public debate.
Proposals to improve journalists’ safety often assume that one size fits all. Yet ARTICLE 19 has found that women journalists face uniquely gendered risks – from workplace harassment to online rape threats and physical attacks. A gendered lens is vital to understand and mitigate these risks.
Women journalists are not a monolithic group. The risks and abuse they face differ depending on their race, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, and other characteristics. Those who already face oppression in one form or another typically face greater risks and harsher abuse.
Such an approach requires us to attend to women’s everyday lives, in all their diversity. And it enables us to learn from women’s creativity and resilience in the face of structural inequalities.
An intersectional feminist approach – one that accounts for these intersecting forms of oppression – is needed to enhance the safety of all women journalists, everywhere.
In 2021, ARTICLE 19 launched Equally Safe: Towards a Feminist Approach to the Safety of Journalists to explore what such an approach might look like and what benefits it might bring.
In the first phase of the project (2021–2023), we published global research, case studies from six countries, practical guidelines, and advocacy tools to help civil society, journalists, researchers, and policymakers apply an intersectional feminist approach in their work.
In the second phase (2024–26), we used these resources to advocate for this approach to be mainstreamed – locally, regionally, and internationally – and shared our learnings from the project.
Curious about what we learned?
The facts
Between half and two-thirds of women journalists have experienced gender-based harassment and abuse – and women from marginalised groups are targeted more often.
Those responsible are multiple, varied (from governments to sources, colleagues, and family members), and rarely held accountable.
The cumulative impact of attacks, as well as the culture of impunity that enables them, must be understood – and addressed.
An intersectional feminist approach is needed to enhance the safety of all women journalists, including those facing intersecting forms of discrimination.
Worldwide, women journalists are designing solutions that work for them, which we should learn from, replicate, and support.
States must guarantee women’s rights to equality and non-discrimination and their right to freedom of expression, which are mutually reinforcing – and equally essential.
Voices of #EquallySafe
Farhana Haque Nila
Musharrat Mahera
Gizele Martins
Ana Brakus
Research and resources
Global research: Our research explores what a feminist approach to the safety of journalists might look like, with examples worldwide and recommendations for positive change.
Global stories: 6 case studies from Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka showcasing creative solutions – designed by and for women journalists – to the threats they face.
Intersectional gender guidelines: Practical guidelines to help civil society organisations take an intersectional gender approach to their work on the safety of journalists.
User-friendly advocacy tools: Simplify your advocacy with our #JournoSafe AdvoSheets: a series of quick reference guides on States' international obligations to protect journalists.
#JournoSafe Resource Hub: A resource for advocates working on the safety of journalists, collecting international human rights standards, research, manuals, and guidelines in one hub.
From impunity to accountability: How states and law enforcement can tackle tech-facilitated gender-based violence against women journalists while protecting expression.
Momentum in Bangladesh and Nepal: The challenges facing women journalists in Bangladesh and Nepal – and how to solve them.
Latin American Insights: Regional reflections for the protection of women and LGBTQIAPN+ communicators.
Voices from our research
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