Protecting women who report on conflict is also a question of whose experiences enter the public record. At a United Nations event during Women, Peace and Security Week, journalists and international officials warned that physical threats, legal pressure and digital abuse can silence reporters while narrowing public understanding of war. Their central concern extended beyond personal safety: when journalists withdraw, communities risk losing an essential channel through which their experiences become visible.
When Intimidation Shapes the Story
Organised by Greece’s Permanent Mission, UN Women and UNESCO, the gathering connected journalist protection with women’s participation in peace and security. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa called for stronger accountability, sustained support for journalism led by women, and greater inclusion of women journalists in peace discussions. Her intervention framed intimidation as a threat to both individual reporters and the information available to society.
The implications extend to editorial independence. Research published by UNESCO in May 2026 found that 45% of surveyed women journalists and media workers reported censoring themselves on social media because of online violence, while 22% reported doing so professionally. These findings suggest that threats can influence what audiences encounter even when journalists remain employed and continue publishing.
Digital Threats, Physical Consequences
The distinction between online abuse and physical danger is increasingly difficult to sustain. UNESCO reported that 75% of 354 women journalists surveyed in 2025 experienced online violence. Meanwhile, 42% linked online attacks to offline abuse, harassment or assault, compared with 20% of respondents in 2020. These are findings from surveyed groups, rather than estimates covering every woman journalist, but they indicate substantial reported harm.
Artificial intelligence adds another layer through fabricated sexual imagery, manipulated recordings and coordinated harassment. The policy implication is that digital security cannot remain separate from physical protection. Threat assessment needs to consider how reputational attacks, exposure of personal information and intimidation may intersect, rather than treating each incident as an isolated communications problem.
Whose Experiences Remain Visible?
Afghanistan illustrates the connection between journalists’ working conditions and public access to women’s experiences. At the event, Radio Begum founder Hamida Aman cited International Federation of Journalists figures indicating that the number of women journalists had fallen from approximately 2,800 before the Taliban takeover to fewer than 700. She also described restrictions, temporary closure and colleagues’ imprisonment.
The broader concern is not that women necessarily report alike, but that their exclusion reduces opportunities for different experiences to enter public debate. Figures presented at the gathering indicated that only 5% of conflict articles examined focused on women’s experiences, despite conflict coverage increasing more than sixfold between 2013 and 2023. Greater reporting volume therefore does not automatically produce broader representation.
From Commitments to Protection
UNESCO’s existing approach combines prevention, protection and prosecution, while recognising the specific risks women journalists face. Translating that framework into practice requires connecting institutional responsibilities rather than placing the burden primarily on reporters’ resilience. Effective investigations, accessible legal support and responses to digital threats should reinforce one another.
A Final Note
The measure of protection is whether journalists can continue reporting without intimidation determining their participation or coverage. Safeguarding women journalists therefore supports both personal security and a fuller public record of conflict, recovery and peacebuilding.
