News Center- The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) has published its report called, “Press Freedom Status For Women Journalists: March 2021”. The report presents a detailed survey of the safety violations against women journalists during March 2021. According to the report, four journalists were killed in the last month; four women journalists were physically assaulted in the field, at least six women journalists were attacked in the field; five women journalists were arrested. Turkey was the leading country for harassment cases against women journalists in March 2021.

The CFWIJ reported that three women journalists were killed in March 2021, “Afghanistan: Three women media workers were shot by terror outfits in the city of Jalalabad. All three victims worked at Enikass Radio and TV. This is the latest attack, in what has now emerged as a pattern, on Afghan women journalists by fundamentalist groups. United States: Former photo director for “Hearst” and “Conde Nast”, a loving wife for 26 years and mother of two, Lynn Murray was one of the ten victims of the shooting in King's grocery store, Boulder Colorado on March 22.”

Journalists were subjected to attacks

The CFWIJ reported that four women journalists were physically assaulted in the field. “Mexico: Four photojournalists were assaulted and detained by the police in Mexico City while covering the events that unfolded on International Women’s Day, 2021”. According to reports by CFWIJ, at least six women journalists were attacked in the field, “Turkey: Dokuz8News reporter Fatoş Erdoğan was subjected to police violence while covering the International Women’s Day rally in Istanbul. The journalist was verbally and physically harassed while doing her job. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) team member, Ceren İskit was deliberately attacked by police while monitoring women journalists’ safety on the Women’s March against the withdrawal of the Istanbul Convention. Montenegro: Journalist Jelena Jovanović was injured while covering a political gathering. She was attacked by a man at the location. The incident was broadcasted live on national television.” Three women journalists were also attacked in El Salvador, Bulgaria, and United States.

Five women journalists were arrested

In March 2021, five women journalists were arrested. The report says, “Egypt: Activist, writer, and film editor Sanaa Seif was sentenced for 18 months in jail on March 17. Sana was convicted on bogus charges of spreading false news, misusing social media, and insulting a police officer; Turkey: The court announced the verdict in the case of OdaTV News Director Müyesser Yıldız and TELE1 Ankara Representative İsmail Dukel. On International Women’s Day, Müyesser was sentenced to three years, seven months, and ten days in prison over espionage charges and her one-year sentence was postponed; the trial against journalists Serpil Ünal and Songül Yücel on charges of "being a member of a terrorist organization" and "spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization" was held in Istanbul. The court sentenced the journalists to one year, six months, and 22 days in prison; the hearing of the trial against journalist Perihan Kaya on terrorism charges was held in Diyarbakır. The court sentenced the journalist to one year and three months in prison for "spreading terrorist propaganda".”

According to CFWIJ data, at least three women journalists were threatened with death. In Turkey, journalist Canan Kaya was threatened after her social media post on the withdrawal of the Istanbul Convention. In Russia, Natalya Zubkova, editor in chief for The Novosti Kiselevsk network, faced horrific threats. And in Afghanistan, Fatima Roshanian, an editor for the feminist magazine Nimorkh Weekly, is working from home after being identified by extremists. Fatima was named in a “kill list” issued by the Taliban.

Statement by CFWIJ for journalist Morgan Large

The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) made a statement on its official website and expressed deep concern about the repeated attacks on investigative reporter Morgan Large. “Investigative reporter Morgan Large’s car was sabotaged in a manner that could have seriously put her life at risk. This is not the first attack on the journalist either. Within the past year and a half, Morgan endured several such attacks at her workplace as well as her home. Over time, it appears that these malignant efforts to intimidate her into silence have increased in frequency. The Coalition For Women In Journalism strongly condemns these attacks and urges authorities to bring the miscreants to justice, and ensure the safety of these journalists. The large-scale industry that prioritizes profit over the common good, need to be held to account by the state, who are meant to function as the representative of its citizens,” said the CFWIJ in the statement.