Jordanian Network calls for tackling digital violence against women journalists

AMMAN — Geared towards ending online violence against women in media, the Jordanian Network to Combat Digital Violence Against Female Journalists, directs its efforts to establish a national plan to tackle the tech-facilitated violence targeting women journalists.

“The need to counter the violence that female journalists face in the digital arena is not just an important facet of protecting women’s rights, but also a necessity that enables them to practice their profession to the fullest,” Rania Sarayrah, the national coordinator of the network, told The Jordan Times. 

According to Sarayrah, there are currently 193 members in the network, and up until today, 56 testimonies have been recorded. 

Adding that many female journalists in Jordan  receive an overwhelming amount of online harassment, symbolic abuse and gendered defamation all over social media platforms. 

During a recent session organised by the network, President of the Centre for Defending Freedom of Journalists Nidal Mansour said: “Closing social media platforms is not the solution… what is needed is a shift in the people’s way of thinking.” 

Further, Mansour stressed the need to provide legal assistance for female journalists, and in order to enhance the protection of media personnel it is crucial that “we strengthen the press corps and media unity that suffer various dimensions of challenges”. 

According to the network, 99 per cent of journalists in Jordan use social media platforms while 23.9 per cent of female journalist in Jordan believe that digital violence against female journalists is conducted by many abusers as entertainment, 8.5 per cent view violence directed towards women journalists a defamation tool. While 11.1 per cent say that they have been digitally assaulted due to their political views and social status.

The network, in her most recent discussion, session called for unifying efforts and statistics relating to the digital violence that is targeting females involved in media and journalism.