By IAWRT Kenya
Female journalists across Africa face physical attacks, intimidation, detention, sexual harassment, online abuse, smear campaigns, surveillance and threats linked to their work. A regional webinar hosted by the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) Kenya examined these violations and the responsibilities of journalists, media houses, law-enforcement agencies, lawyers and regional institutions in responding to them.
The webinar, Reporting Violations Against Female Journalists: A Shared Responsibility, supported by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), brought together journalists, lawyers, law-enforcement representatives and media freedom advocates from across the continent.
A key concern raised was what speakers described as the “patriarchy-institutional bias nexus”, where gender stereotypes influence the treatment of women journalists within institutions expected to protect them.
Nelly Moraa, who presented findings from the monitoring initiative, cited cases where female journalists were dismissed or threatened using gendered language. In Uganda, a senior military figure reportedly referred to a female media manager as a “small girl” and threatened to discipline her, before the stations she managed were shut down. In Kenya, journalists covering protests and elections reported having equipment confiscated and receiving threats after raising concerns about police conduct.
In Sudan, journalists have faced detention and severe risks while reporting amid conflict. In Ethiopia, journalists remain detained in connection with their reporting on conflict. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, journalists have received death threats from armed groups, while in Cameroon, journalists working for the Associated Press were detained and had equipment seized.
Botswana journalist Lamé Lucas provided a personal account at the webinar. On 10 March 2026, while covering proceedings at a magistrates’ court in Gaborone, a rape suspect reportedly became aggressive towards journalists outside the court and threw bricks at them. Lucas fell while trying to escape and sustained injuries to her palm and elbows. She reported the incident to police but said the experience was traumatic and raised concerns about her safety and that of her family.
Lucas later returned to court reporting and urged journalists to report harassment to editors, managers and human-resources departments, and to the police or other authorities where incidents involve assault or sexual violence. She also stressed the importance of digital and mental well-being.
The attacks also extend online. Women journalists have faced trolling, sexualised abuse, smear campaigns and attacks on their professional credibility. Speakers noted that such harassment can lead journalists to limit their reporting or withdraw from public conversations. UNESCO has similarly documented the impact of online violence on women journalists, including psychological harm and self-censorship.
Documentation as the first step
The webinar identified reporting and documentation as critical to addressing impunity. Moraa argued that when violations are not reported or documented, perpetrators can repeat the same conduct. The monitoring initiative therefore seeks to make individual incidents visible, categorise violations and generate evidence for advocacy and legal action.
IAWRT Kenya’s monitoring and reporting platform provides a mechanism for documenting violations against women journalists across Africa:
The initiative is being implemented with partners including UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) and seeks to strengthen documentation, monitoring and follow-up on violations.
As Josephine Karani, IAWRT Kenya chairperson, said, for the organisation, the value of the observatory lies not only in recording incidents but also in creating evidence that can inform advocacy, litigation and engagement with national, regional and international institutions.
From evidence to justice
William Okech of the African Media Lawyers Network, and IAWRT’s legal partner from the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), said documentation provides lawyers with information needed to identify perpetrators, establish what happened and determine which rights were violated. The network has worked with partners to identify cases from the observatory for possible legal intervention.
However, the webinar also highlighted barriers to pursuing justice. Okech described a Kenyan case involving a journalist who had been physically and emotionally harassed. Although legal support was being considered, the journalist’s employer warned against pursuing legal action. She was consequently forced to weigh her employment against seeking justice.
The case highlighted the role of media organisations in either enabling or limiting access to justice
Newsrooms must provide support
Mr. Oketch called on media houses to establish clear systems for responding to attacks against journalists. These include internal reporting and escalation mechanisms, public support for journalists facing attacks, psychosocial support, digital-security measures and assistance with legal action. Okech also stressed that media organisations should recognise access to justice as a fundamental right rather than viewing legal action as a reputational risk.
Law enforcement and accountability
Commissioner Polycarp Ngufor from Cameroon spoke about efforts to train police officers on freedom of expression, access to information, media freedom and the protection of journalists.
He said training should enable officers to recognise harassment against female journalists, investigate incidents effectively and preserve evidence that can support prosecution.
The webinar also pointed to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), which has established regional standards on freedom of expression and journalist safety.
Laws and policies exist in many countries, but implementation, access to justice, investigative capacity and institutional accountability remain challenges.
Online attacks on journalists
The webinar also addressed the growing threat of online violence, including coordinated harassment, smear campaigns, doxxing and AI-enabled abuse such as deepfakes.
While existing criminal and cybercrime laws may provide mechanisms for responding to online harassment, similar laws can also be used against journalists reporting on issues involving powerful actors. Effective responses therefore require both protection from online abuse and safeguards for legitimate journalism.
Reporting as a shared responsibility
Reporting a violation is only the first step. Journalists need safe mechanisms to report incidents; media houses must provide institutional and psychosocial support; police must investigate; lawyers must help translate evidence into legal action; and governments and regional institutions must ensure accountability.
Protecting female journalists is therefore not an individual responsibility. It requires coordinated action across newsrooms, law enforcement, legal institutions, governments, civil society and regional bodies.