Discussion on current situation, challenges, and the future after the pandemic

On July 22, IAWRT USA and IAWRT Philippines held the first webinar in a series of IAWRT chapter-to-chapter meetings. The topic is “COVID19: The Dilemma for Women, Journalists, and You.”

While it was a joint webinar by two chapters, members from the other 12 chapters of IAWRT as well as international members and the International Board joined the webinar.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, journalists find themselves working in more hostile environments with cyber-attacks, threats, arrests and kidnapping.

·    In the Philippines, we see a rise of cases of media repressions, with the kidnapping of Filipino journalist Elena Tijamo whose whereabouts is still unknown; the continuing detention of community radio journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, the conviction of Maria Ressa and former journalist Reynaldo Santos Jr.; shutting down of media giant ABS-CBN, vilification campaign against journalists and media outfits that are critical in their reporting, to name a few.

·    In the US, media houses like the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, and numerous journalists, have been publicly vilified as “fake news” since 2016. The most derogatory names, too, are assigned to journalists, particularly female journalists for doing their job.

This webinar event discussed the chapters’ current situation, challenges, and the future after the pandemic.

The meeting was moderated by Rebecca Myles, Radio broadcaster AFP/Producer RTV in New York and IAWRT-USA vice president.

The panelists included:

·      – Dr. Michelle Ferrier, Executive Director of Media Innovation Collaboratory / Founder, Trollbusters

·      – Jane Tilman Irving, President, New York Press Club

·      – Frieda Werden, Women’s International News Gathering Service (WINGS)

·      – Margarita Valle, veteran journalist and Vice President of IAWRT Philippines

·      – Ronalyn V. Olea, Managing Editor, Bulatlat

·      – Randy Credico, Comedian/Activist/Radio/TV

Watch the discussion here:

Women’s effort to check on one another amid the quarantine and pandemic

by Margarita Valle

Dubbed as “Kumustahan sa Hulyo” (Meet and Greet in July), 21 members of the IAWRT Philippines came together on July 11, 2020 via an online meeting.

 It was an effort to keep abreast of each member’s conditions as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage through the country and the rest of the world.

 Among the matters taken up included a report given by IAWRT Philippines president Lynda Garcia, who appraised the members with the activities undertaken by the organization since the last general assembly on November 7, 2019.

Garcia likewise shared the rest of the activities undertaken by the chapter’s Executive Board that included meeting funding partners and discussed potential projects for IAWRT Philippines.

A brief break during the discussion was spent for “Mindful Breathing” presentation that shared tips on how to ease one’s stress amid this pandemic and the growing unease among women journalist facing the growing political and social tension as of late.

The passing of Anti-Terrorism Law and the non-approval of the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise, the biggest broadcast network in the country, have been major issues that shook Filipino journalists and the Filipino people during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

The meeting ended with plans of moving forward despite the restrictions due to the pandemic and quarantine, while each one makes a mental note on keeping tab of each other as we continue to fight together to help each other protect our common interest to protect our rights as human beings and as journalists.

Exacerbation of gender-based violence against women journalists through digital technologies highlighted

On July 8, 2020, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women Dubravka Šimonović, published her yearly report on combating violence against women journalists (VAWJ) at the 44th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

The new report “highlights issues such as the exacerbation of gender-based violence against women journalists through digital technologies, the specific types of threats and sexual violence faced by female media workers, intersectional discrimination, harassment in the workplace, as well as the stereotyped roles and sexualized images into which women journalists are often expected to fit.”

The Special Rapporteur recalled that 70 female journalists have been killed in the last decade, according to the UNESCO observatory of killed journalists.

“Women journalists have become increasingly targeted as visible and outspoken representatives of women’s rights,” Šimonović said in a UN Special Procedures news release.

“Much remains to be done, particularly in view of the emerging fundamentalist discourse and the global backlash against women’s rights,” she added.

Šimonović recommended that the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity be furthered through a UN system-wide coordinated approach to combatting and preventing violence against women journalists, involving the Special Rapporteurs on violence against women and on freedom of expression, and the Platform of United Nations and regional independent expert mechanisms on ending discrimination and violence against women.

She also recommended the development of training programmes for police, prosecutors and judges who are responsible for fulfilling State obligations concerning the protection of the rights of women journalists and other media actors.

Finally, she called on States to include a gender perspective in all initiatives aimed at creating and maintaining a safe and favourable environment for free and independent journalism.