Case Study Will Help Improve Safety of Female Journalists

AFiji case study on the prevalence and impact of sexual harassment on female journalists was launched yesterday. The research is based on a survey consisting of 50 questions, administered to 42 respondents and in-depth interviews with 23 respondents.

This was a University of the South Pacific (USP) Journalism and Fiji Women’s Rights Movements Research Report.

The two lead researchers were Geraldine Panapasa, a teaching assistant with the USP Journalism Programme and Shailendra Singh- the associate professor of Pacific Journalism and the head of the Journalism Programme at USP.

Ms Panapasa said the study was to access the prevalence of sexual harassment against Fijian female journalists at the workplace, in the news reporting field and how it impacts their professional and personal life.

The resport covers current and former Fijian journalists across print, broadcast and electronic media.

She said it also focused on online sexual harassment against female journalists which was a growing concern internationally as reported in a UNESCO commission study in 2022.

“Given the public interest role of journalism in any country, the health and welfare of journalists is a national concern, especially vulnerable female journalists,” Ms Panapasa said.

“Yet, sexual harassments against female journalist and its impact have never been researched in Fiji.

“This is even though as much as half out of the total population of about 120 active journalists in the country are females,” she said.

She said the Fiji study was inspired by the Internal Labour Organisation Violence and Harassment Convention.

USP’s Head of Journalism, Mr Singh said the study was about identifying the problem, understanding it and then recommending a solution.

He said this was the first study of its kind in Fiji and the Pacific.

“The point is we rely heavily on journalists in news to make decisions and we also place high expectations on them so the welfare of journalists should also be our concern.

“There seems to be a lack of curiosity on the part of the general public and even the Government about the state of journalists.”

He said the aim of this study was to improve safety for female journalists so that they could carry out their very important public interest duties well without undue interference or harassment.