Seventy-three percent of women journalists have experienced online violence in the course of their work, the UNESCO Global Survey on Online Violence against Women Journalists has revealed.
UNESCO surveyed 714 women journalists from 113 countries. Twenty-five percent said they had received threats of physical violence while 18% had been threatened with sexual violence, according to the report.
Forty-eight percent said they were subjected to online harassment and 20% said they were attacked offline in connection with online violence.
Twenty-six percent of female journalists who were subjected to violence had to seek psychological support, while 11% took a leave of absence from their jobs.
Women journalists are most exposed to violence when they report on gender equality, the report reveals.
Forty-seven percent of women reporting on gender equality have experienced online violence.
Forty-four percent of those who report on political news and 31% of those who report on human rights issues face online violence.
