Women journalists are unsafe in Bangladesh, new study reveals shocking sexual harassment

Dhaka. Serious questions have been raised regarding the safety of women journalists working in media institutions in Bangladesh. An international study has revealed that the incidence of sexual harassment against female journalists at the workplace is many times higher than that of male colleagues. According to the report, most women avoid even filing complaints due to fear of impact on career and job.

The survey of 339 media workers found that 60 percent of female journalists in Bangladesh reported facing verbal sexual harassment, while the figure was only 9 percent among men. Apart from this, 48 ​​percent women reported facing online sexual harassment, while this number among men was 15 percent.

The study also revealed that 24 percent of female media professionals were victims of physical sexual harassment, while only 4 percent of such cases among men were. According to the report, 17 percent of women journalists shared the experience of sexual harassment at the workplace, but more than half of these cases were not reported.

The study was jointly conducted by WAN-IFRA Women in News, City St George’s University of London and BBC Media Action. It included more than 2,800 media professionals from 21 countries.

The report said that 52 percent of women who faced verbal harassment in Bangladesh did not make any complaint. At the same time, in 43 percent of the cases in which information reached the institutions, the employers did not take any concrete action.

Lindsay Bluemel, a researcher at City St George’s University of London, said that the impact of sexual harassment is not limited to just the victim, but it affects the entire newsroom environment. He said such incidents reduce employees’ job satisfaction and increase the likelihood of leaving journalism.

The study also revealed a worrying situation at the global level. The highest number of cases of sexual harassment were recorded in African countries at 33 percent. After this, 31 percent cases were reported in the Arab region and 19 percent in South-East Asia, while in Ukraine this figure was 12 percent.

Susan Makore, managing director of WAN-IFRA Women in News, said the large number of cases going unreported reflects a serious failure of workplace culture and accountability. According to her, sexual harassment in media organizations is not just an individual problem, but a structural barrier that determines who feels safe in journalism and can access leadership roles.