69pc harassment cases in media go unreported

A new multi-country study has found that 69pc of sexual harassment cases in media workplaces go unreported, while nearly one in three media professionals have experienced harassment at work.

The study, jointly conducted by WAN-IFRA Women in News, City St George’s, University of London, and BBC Media Action, surveyed more than 2,800 media professionals across 21 countries in Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab region and Ukraine.

According to the findings, 29pc of respondents experienced sexual harassment at work. Women were disproportionately affected, facing 2.4 times more verbal sexual harassment than men and 1.8 times more online sexual harassment linked to work.

The study also found that physical harassment remains a concern, with one-quarter of all respondents reporting such experiences.

Researchers said sexual harassment has a serious impact on both individuals and newsroom environments, reducing job satisfaction and increasing the likelihood of media professionals leaving the industry.

The study found regional differences, with the highest prevalence reported in Africa at 33%, followed by the Arab region at 31%. Southeast Asia recorded 19%, while Ukraine reported 12%.

Bangladesh was included in the study for the first time. The Bangladesh survey, conducted among 339 respondents, found that 17% of media professionals had experienced workplace sexual harassment, slightly below the Southeast Asian average. However, female journalists and media professionals in Bangladesh were almost six times more likely than their male colleagues to face sexual harassment.

Around 60% of female respondents in Bangladesh reported verbal sexual harassment, compared with 9% of male respondents. Online harassment linked to work was reported by 48% of female respondents and 15% of male respondents.

The survey also found that 24% of women in Bangladesh experienced physical sexual harassment, compared with 4% of men.

Most survivors in Bangladesh did not report the incidents, mainly due to fear of career consequences. Among female media professionals who experienced verbal harassment, 52% said they did not report the abuse. In 43% of reported cases, employers reportedly failed to take action.

WAN-IFRA Women in News Managing Director Susan Makore said the high rate of unreported cases reflects deeper failures in workplace culture, trust and accountability.

BBC Media Action said sexual harassment is not only an issue of individual protection but also one of newsroom governance and journalistic integrity.

BBC Media Action has been working in Bangladesh to prevent harassment in the media sector through training, discussions with media leaders and harassment response groups.

It also developed Bangladesh’s first sexual harassment response protocol for newsrooms, which was formally launched in March this year.