The Consultative Dialogue on Safety Challenges for Female Media Professionals made a consensus that threats, intimidation and sexual harassment of females at workplaces are pervasive in media organisations and blocks the entry of women in the profession.
The meeting felt that newspapers, radio and television channels in Pakistan have not done enough to promote a sense of safety for women to work. Under the Women Protection Act against Harassment at Workplace 2010, all organisations in Pakistan are legally required to set up a three member in-house committee but only a few media houses have made them to investigate sexual harassment complaints by their female staff.
The vulnerable and needy female staff is especially targeted by the sexual predators. The meeting urged all media organisations including Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS) and Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) to take certain steps. The meeting also urged media organisations to promote awareness of Code of Conduct at the Workplace against Sexual Harassment which is part of the Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act.
Participants felt that at times their male colleagues try to damage the reputation of females who complain of sexual harassment. Victims of sexual harassment often do not find support from their bosses or even other women colleagues who do not want any tension in the office.
Sexual harassment of women is a global problem and according to the International News Safety Institute (INSI) and International Women’s Media Foundation’s (IWMF) survey on violence and harassment against women in the news media, two-third of female media professionals face threats in their workplace.
Gender rights expert and former journalist Dr Salman Arif said that women in our society face many barriers to earn a livelihood without any fear of discrimination. He criticised the state that it has failed to fulfill its duty to ensure safety of all citizens which is guaranteed in the Constitution of Pakistan.
He further said that women in Pakistani media are projected as victims of corrupting influences in society and only two per cent of the violent honour crimes are reported. The media unnecessarily focuses on the age and beauty of the female victims and gives the impression that the women subjected to horrific atrocities are themselves responsible for this violence.
The meeting was organised by the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) with the support of Open Society Institute (OSI).
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