Many Gambian female journalists encounter sexual harassment says Maimuna Sidibeh

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By SULAYMAN WAAN

Maimuna Sidibeh, principal officer for UNESCO on Friday disclosed that quite a number of Gambian female journalists have encountered degrading comments and physical sexual assaults in newsrooms.

Ms Sidibeh made these remarks during a presentation at a national validation forum on sexual harassment policy for the media organized Women Journalists Association of The Gambia (WOJAG) and The Gambia Press Union (GPU) held at TANGO in Fajara.

The policy document aims to empower women journalists and eliminating barriers to their development using a two-pronged approach as well develop a gender policy code of conduct and ensures its integration into consideration.

“The increasing number of sexual harassment of female journalists is a cause for concern. But with this draft bill and when passed and assented to would serve as a warning that the days of sex for work and promotion in media organizations is coming to an end,” she said.

Madam Sidibeh revealed that there have been stories that, there are demands “for sex from young employees most especially those coming new into the profession, before they can be given assignments or even have their stories published.

“International Federation of Journalists (IFG) statistics has revealed that “at least one in every two journalists has suffered sexual harassment, psychological abuse, online trolling and other forms of human rights abuse,” she noted.

She said workplace discrimination had denied many competent female journalists their deserving right to develop or even to cover very important beats for the political or economic departments of the media houses.

She lamented that many assignments are given to male journalists instead of the female ones, adding that some of those male journalists are not competent as the females.

The Gambia have multiple of newspapers but have been dominated by male journalists particularly the editors’ desks.

She said: “As we speak, we are aware that most young women are unwilling to take up print journalism as a career and newspaper house have fewer women as compared to some few years ago,” she said.

She said, generally women receive more sexually harassed than men in the society, noting that they are less paid than their male counterparts while still treated differently in workplace.

She noted that female journalists are faced with socio-cultural and religious stereotypes that considered their position in society as lower than men.

She also disclosed that female journalists in the electronic media are faced with job insecurity, lack of adequate skills compared to their male counterparts, low hope of promotion and unacceptable levels of vulnerability to male bosses.

“The under-representation of women journalists in key decision making positions in the Gambian media institutions contributes to the under-reporting of women’s issues. This subtly leads to the equitable way that media images reflect or reinforce stereotypes about men and women,” she said.

She noted that sexual harassment in the workplace is a form of sex discrimination which negatively affects the working environment, undermines gender equality at work, creates unfair practices in employment, and adversely impacts the dignity and well-being of workers.