Delegates at a Pacific media conference in Fiji heard harrowing stories of female reporters facing threats of violence and harassment. This raised the question of whether enough is being done to protect female reporters in the Pacific region.
In 2022, the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement, in partnership with the University of the South Pacific Journalism Program, launched a research report on the prevalence and impact of sexual harassment on female journalists in Fiji. Among the 42 respondents, ages ranged from 22 to 51, with an average age of 33.2 years and an average of 8.3 years of work experience. Most respondents worked in print media, with others choosing online and/or broadcasting.
The findings revealed a widespread awareness of sexual harassment. ABC’s Fiji reporter, Lice Monovo, experienced journalist for RNZ Pacific and the Guardian, noted that such incidents were familiar to her. She expressed shock that harassment was still occurring and more widespread than she thought. Despite women reporting harassment and seeking help, Monovo felt that inadequate measures were in place to protect female journalists, as their concerns were often dismissed.
Laisa Bulatale from the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement said many women in the research experienced verbal, physical, gestural, and online harassment at work, which also occurred during assignments or interviews with high-ranking officials and sports personalities. Female reporters were hesitant to report issues due to fear of victim-blaming and lack of confidence in the complaint processes within their organizations.
Georgina Kekea, an experienced journalist and editor of Tauvali News from the Solomon Islands, conducted a survey of female reporters, validating her own experiences and those of other female journalists. She highlighted the lack of support from newsroom superiors, often because male leaders didn’t grasp women’s issues and cultural factors played a significant role.
Alex Rheeney, former news editor of PNG’s Post-Courier and the Samoa Observer, was not surprised by the panel’s discussion. He emphasized the need for newsrooms to develop policies to ensure the welfare and safety of female reporters, urging the media industry to adopt proactive measures.
The media industry across the Pacific needs to implement more measures to protect female journalists, both in the newsroom and out on assignments. This is crucial in addressing the crisis of harassment and violence against female journalists.