Only 10pc of women journalists in Somalia feel safe at work, report finds

Two female journalists working for Bilan Media, a Somali start-up staffed entirely by women, interview a woman running a restaurant in a market in Mogadishu on May 22, 2022. [AFP]

Only one in 10 women journalists in Somalia feels safe at work, with sexual harassment, unpaid wages and discrimination exposing female media workers to abuse, a new report has found.

The assessment by the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) paints a picture of newsrooms where women face exploitation from colleagues and managers, alongside threats while covering assignments.

The report, titled Unsafe, Underpaid and Unheard: The Workplace Crisis Facing Women Journalists in Somalia, found that 52 per cent of respondents felt unsafe or very unsafe at work.

It also found that 48 per cent had experienced sexual harassment during their careers, with newsrooms and workplaces accounting for the highest reported cases.

Of those surveyed, 32.5 per cent identified the newsroom or workplace as a location where harassment occurred.

Another 23.6 per cent reported online intimidation while 19.7 per cent experienced harassment during field assignments.

The findings point to a working environment in which women face abuse both from people they work with and individuals they encounter while reporting.

The report, based on a survey of 127 women journalists, group discussions with 41 female journalists and consultations with 12 media owners and managers, covered Mogadishu and six Federal Member States.

It found that employment insecurity was another major problem, with only 26 per cent of respondents holding full-time contracts.

Nearly half (49.6 per cent) had written employment contracts outlining their salaries, working hours, responsibilities and leave entitlements.

The absence of formal agreements leaves women vulnerable to arbitrary dismissal, unpredictable wages, unpaid overtime and denial of maternity benefits.

The study also documented cases in which media managers allegedly demanded sexual favours in exchange for releasing journalists' earned salaries.

Eleven female journalists raised concerns about sexual extortion linked to unpaid wages. Five others described situations in which women were told to choose between marriage and continued employment.

Other reported abuses included sexual harassment disguised as professional mentorship, dismissal after reporting misconduct and pressure to accept travel or accommodation arrangements that compromised their safety.

Financial insecurity was compounded by unequal pay. Only 27.6 per cent of respondents believed they received the same pay as male colleagues, while 34.6 per cent said they earned less despite having similar responsibilities.

Less than half reported receiving their salaries on time. Some experienced unexplained deductions, delayed payments or no payment for completed assignments.

The report also raised concerns about digital attacks targeting women journalists, including threats of sexual violence, fake social media accounts and artificial intelligence-generated sexual images.

More than 55 per cent of respondents reported experiencing digital abuse linked to their professional activities.

Some women were threatened with fabricated intimate images being sent to their family members to force them to abandon complaints against alleged perpetrators.

The report noted that fear of losing employment, social stigma and retaliation discouraged women from reporting harassment.

More than 42.5 per cent of respondents said their media houses had no mechanisms for reporting harassment, while 31.5 per cent did not know whether such systems existed.

Only about one in four reported having access to clear and confidential complaints procedures.

The findings also exposed barriers to career advancement, with 46.5 per cent of respondents saying they had been denied promotions or key assignments because of their gender.

Only 11 per cent believed women had the same opportunities as men to advance their careers. Meanwhile, 63.8 per cent said they had received no professional training at their workplaces.

Women journalists also reported being assigned entertainment, family and social affairs stories while male colleagues received political, investigative and economic reporting assignments.

The union called on media organisations to introduce written employment contracts, ensure regular salary payments and provide maternity benefits and suitable workplace facilities.

It also recommended independent and confidential mechanisms for handling harassment complaints, alongside protections against retaliation.

Newsrooms were urged to provide safe transport for female reporters, strengthen digital security measures and expand women's access to investigative reporting, training and editorial leadership.

The report was produced by NUSOJ with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the Bilan Project, funded by the European Union.