Protect female journalists – Eyram Bashan Charges Media owners

Veteran journalist Eyram Bashan has admonished media owners to ensure safe working environments for female journalists due to the numerous threats they face in the line of duty.

With a vast experience from radio to television, she noted that female journalists endure suffering as they are subjected not only to physical attacks but sexual assault, abuse in and out of the office, inequality, and biases in favour of male counterparts.

She recounted the 2000 general elections where she hid under a table in fear of some politicians who besieged the media station she worked over a publication.

“I say this to employers that it is in their interest to ensure that there is job security, there is a safe environment. They should ensure that if there is any harassment, especially on women, HR mechanisms can provide quick redress.

“They should not allow female journalists to be vulnerable to attackers within and outside the organisation,” she stressed.

She was speaking at a conference on the safety of female journalists in Ghana on Friday, October 29, in Accra.

Mrs Bashan, the special guest speaker, also identified salary as another critical issue derailing the progress and personal development of journalists, especially women in the country.

“Sometimes, the paycheck is not enough even though you sacrifice too much. You go on assignment, and sometimes there is no car or resources to fund your trip. We have to depend on ‘soli’ but stay strong and continue making the difference,” she urged.

She tasked journalists to be bold and negotiate for better salary, security and insurance when accepting an offer from organisations.

Mrs Bashan insisted that employers stop exploitation and implement proper measures to ensure employees are physically, emotionally and financially protected.

On her part, the Convenor for Alliance for Women in Media Africa (AWMA), Shamima Muslim, said safety and freedom of expression are essential in quality news delivery.

With a mission to advocate, identify, train, support, connect, protect and reward women in media in Africa, the AWMA convenor urged women to continue to take up critical positions in the media space.

She believes that stories of abuse that impede women’s progress will be addressed with a stronger front and collective effort.

She assured that AWMA, together with all relevant stakeholders in Ghana, will continue to push the agenda to provide a safer environment for all at the workplace.

Members of the Ghana Police Service, who were present at the conference, urged journalists to report cases of assault at all times.

They assured that once there is evidence of assault, the police will take it up and ensure the culprits face the full force of the law.

The conference was organised by Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), in partnership with Alliance for Women in Media Africa and with funding support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

It had over 60 female journalists from various media organisations deliberating on challenges confronting the safety and security of female journalists in Ghana.