There is a famous belief in the Philippines that when a woman gives birth to her child, her life is basically in peril, with her other leg already dug in the grave. Yet another birth story most known but not emphasized is how women journalists give birth to their stories. They endure the same wound and spill the same blood, placed on equal levels of danger and endurance—women give birth to breathless cries of help, in both labor and in doing the labor job.
On the first page of a booklet guide, “What to Do: A Guide to Understanding Attacks Against Women Journalists in the Philippines,” it was reported that 14 out of the 47 press freedom violations under the current Marcos administration were towards women journalists. Consequently, when these women become targets, they suffer from sexist remarks. This, according to the guide, corroborates that attacks on journalists are gendered, thus becoming an unfortunate event only the female population experiences.
On this occasion, the International Association for Women on Radio and Television (IAWRT) highlighted the various workplace and gender-based harassment, online threats, and physical attacks on women in media and journalism at their recent orientation-workshop at the PUP College of Communication Audio-Visual Room on July 30.
Jola Diones Mamangun, IAWRT Acting President, began the forum by introducing their organization. According to Mamangun, IAWRT has 14 national chapters and 54 country-members from Afghanistan, Cambodia, Cameroon, India, Iraq, Kenya, Moldova, Nepal, Norway, The Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and the United States of America.
Having various projects and initiatives—IAWRT in its nature—advocates for the en masse safety of women journalists.
According to Mamangun, IAWRT envisions a global environment where women in media are fully recognized with their roles enacted in a safe and secure environment while ensuring freedom of speech without the fear of online or offline trolling, where the portrayal and image of women are balanced across all platforms.
“Ang ating misyon ngayon, kailangan natin na tiyakin na magaganap ‘yung sinasabi natin na malayang pamamahayag [na] makakapaglikha tayo ng mga dokumentaryo na ligtas, kaya may mga collaboration, kaya may mga partnership, [at] may mga project tayong ginagawa,” she explained.
Mamangun emphasized that the Digital Safe House (DSH) platform served as a “one-stop-shop” for attacked journalists and was first conducted in the Philippines in 2021.
However, the constant change in the field, like online journalism overpowering traditional media, and the challenges brought upon by envelopmental and yellow journalism, information disorder, and individualized journalism were identified in the forum as constituents worsening the already tough field for women journalists.
How Women Journalists Battle the Grim Side of Media
“‘Pag bago ang kababaihang journalist sa industriya, mas bulnerable ka,” says IAWRT member Cynthia Espiritu during her discussion on the climate of the workplace in journalism for women.
She expounded by saying that the industry, amidst efforts for gender equality, is still dominated by male leaders and that women are still seen as inferior to the opposite sex.
She emphasized that misogyny in the workplace should change, stating that these events also happen even outside the confines of offices, “Hindi ibig sabihin na nasa labas ka ay safe ka na.”
According to Espiritu, all this leads women to battle journalistic oppression just to obtain stories or story ideas, at the very least.
“‘Yung ibang mga reporter, ‘pag matagal na nilang kasama, i-fe-feed nila pero sa’yo hindi ibibigay… kasi babae ka.”
Furthermore, she delved into how women journalists are summoned to the office without formal notice. This, she debunked, is a malpractice and should be apprehended.
Alongside story deprivation and oppression, women journalists are also subject to online harassment, body shaming, privacy breaches, verbal and non-verbal sexual and malicious innuendos, unnecessary physical contact, and worst, molestation, and rape threats or rape.
“The media outfits should also have the consciousness to help these women,” Mamangun exclaimed.
This is where she emphasizes the Butterfly Campaign, which aims to spread awareness by documenting attacks related to the continuing gender-based and political harassment of women journalists.
The campaign is part of the DSH platform, where their study covered 28 women journalists and 23 newsroom managers in eight cities in the country.
Headed by the IAWRT secretary, the campaign takes inspiration from women's movements in various parts of the globe, aiming to unearth the plight of women journalists in speaking the truth and silencing gender-based attacks.
With this, IAWRT Philippines encourages existing newsrooms to institutionalize safety policies for women journalists, including asking newsroom managers to address the said attacks.
Additionally, DSH country representative Janess Ann Ellao emphasized that the fight for press freedom and women’s rights is far from resolved and that the safety of journalists will always remain a community effort.
The Continuing Battle
Amidst all the mentioned attacks on women journalists, both Mamangun and Espiritu affirmed that these challenges are experienced by both men and women, beyond media and across all sectors of society.
“As women journalists and communicators, we always remember that what we are experiencing is not exclusive to us.”
In 2023, the Foundation for Women Alternatives (FMA) reported 715 cases of online gender-based violence (OGBV) in the Philippines since they started their mapping efforts in 2012. Sources of this study came from media reports, online correspondence of citizen journalists, and personal narratives from survivors from various communities.
The year-end report stated that 94.6% of victim-survivors were sexually abused or exploited, with 53.1% of them coming from the 18-year-old and above age bracket.
The most common forms of OGBV are the dissemination of intimate images or videos (41.7%), blackmailing (22.2%), and cyber-pornography and prostitution (14.8%).
Outside of harassment, the Philippines remains one of the most dangerous countries to be a journalist, with 81 out of 117 journalistic killing cases unresolved.
In February 2024, the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHCR) called for sustained reforms for threats and killings of journalists. During her 10-day visit to the Philippines, UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan emphasized the need to open peace talks with insurgents and renew engagement with international communities.
Additionally, Khan remarked that the pre-trial detainment cases of Mariel Domequil, Alexander Philip Abinguna, and Frenchie Mae Cumpio need to either be reviewed, dismissed, or expedited with full due process as the three have been “languishing in prison” for four years, awaiting only a resolution on their non-bailable cases.
Fortunately, on February 20, 2024, the Philippines became the first country in Asia to ratify the Violence and Harassment Convention No. 190, or the first international labor standard to address workplace violence and harassment.
However, Espiritu emphasized that amidst constant efforts for protection and security, women journalists remain undermined, abused, and treated differently in and outside the workplace.
IAWRT on taking the Next Steps
“‘Yung harassment, walang pinipili. Newly-grad ka, bagong journalist ka, senior o batikan na journalist ka na, ang harassment [ay] nandiyan,” said Mamangun.
Furthermore, this became IAWRT’s mission—to educate young journalists to protect themselves in case an attack happens.
“Walang ligtas, ang sa atin lang, sikapin natin na huwag mangyari,” she concluded.
IAWRT specializes in conducting media work orientation and workshops, school tours with veteran journalists, internships and mentoring for young women journalists, and education training on investigative journalism and ethical reporting.
Currently, IAWRT partners with PUP to possibly conduct the said projects and activities and to open their organization to a student internship program.
Article: Lyene Marie Darang
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