Prevalence and Impact of Sexual Harassment on female journalists

The primary purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence of sexual harassment against Fiji female journalists - at the workplace and in the news reporting field - and the impact on their professional and personal lives. It covers both current and former female journalists across print, broadcast and electronic media. The report is based on a questionnaire survey of 42 respondents and in depth interviews of 23 respondents. The survey also covers online sexual harassment against female journalists, which is a growing concern internationally, as reported in a UNESCO-commissioned study in 2020. The survey results indicate that online sexual harassment and threats are also developing into a serious problem, with media organisations not entirely equipped to deal with this emerging issue. Given the public interest role of journalism in any country, the health and welfare of journalists is a national concern, especially vulnerable female journalists. Yet, sexual harassment against female journalist and its impact have never been researched in Fiji. This is even though as much as half out of a total population of about 120 active journalists in the country are females, with trends in Fiji and abroad indicating that sexual harassment could be a major problem in journalism. Some conclusions could be drawn from a 2016 FWRM study showing a high incidence of sexual harassment in various work sectors, with one in five respondents having experienced it, especially the younger ones (25% under 30 years old). Specific to women in the news media, the first global survey by the International News Safety Institute and the International Women's Media Foundation in 2014 found that half the 683 respondents had experienced sexual harassment at their jobs, with the most common forms being unwanted comments on dress and appearance, suggestive remarks or sounds, jokes of a sexual nature and invasion of personal space.