What if...? Safety Handbook for Women Journalists

Women journalists are targeted as women and as professional journalists. They are under pressure to prove themselves, and as a consequence, they may subject themselves to greater danger. The handbook shows how physical, digital, and psychosocial safety are connected, all limiting women journalists' right to do their job.

There is a wide gap between the upholding of laws, where they exist, to protect women in the workplace and the reality for female journalists competing to keep and excel in their careers. While it is clearly the role of the management to address sexual harassment, it is often left to women to create the culture in media houses which makes sexual harassment unacceptable. Moreover, laying official complaints may be counterproductive to the career in many cases.

The book provides detailed information on what perils women journalists face, or may face. The chapters cover risk assessment; profile management and gender-based preparation; gender-based violence and harassment; travel safety; digital and equipment safety; crowd management; wars and conflicts; kidnapping and detention; one’s stories and psychosocial safety; ethical safety decisions; legal safety.