Press Freedom Status For Women Journalists: March 2022
Throughout the month of March 2022, the Coalition For Women In Journalism documented 32 cases of violations against women journalists. These included detentions, legal harassment and physical assaults in the field, among other attacks on press freedom and women journalists reporting from different parts of the world. Prominent among them were the increasing risks to women journalists on the frontlines in Ukraine, where Russia’s war rages on.
Two Women Journalists Killed
Ukraine: Local journalist working with Fox News Oleksandra (Alexandra) Kuvshynova and camera operator Pierre Zakrzewski were killed on March 14 by incoming fire from Russian troops, near the village of Horenka, outside Kyiv. More details available here.
Ukraine: Reporter for the independent Latvia-based investigative news website The Insider, Oksana Baulina was killed during a Russian offensive in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Detailed report available here.
One Woman Journalist Faced Life Threats
Italy: A prisoner sent the editor in chief of Cronache di Caserta and Cronache di Napoli, Maria Bertone, a menacing letter threatening to “blow her up”. Read our report on the case.
Two Women Journalists Held Captive
Ukraine: Journalist Viktoria Roshchina, associated with independent Ukrainian television channel Hromadske, went missing on March 16. Her employer organization lost contact with her after March 11, when she filed a report on Russian-occupied Enerhodar city. Witnesses told Hromadske that Viktoria was taken captive by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and wasn’t sighted after March 16. She was released 10 days later allegedly after being forced to record a video stating Russian troops saved her life. Read our detailed coverage.
Ukraine: Ukrainian journalist Iryna Dubchenko was detained by Russian forces in the southeastern city of Rozivka, Zaporozhye region on March 26, and was taken to the Moscow-backed separatist-controlled Donetsk city. Iryna is reportedly accused by invading forces of sheltering a wounded Ukrainian soldier. She remains captive. Read our coverage.
Eight Women Journalists Detained
India: Journalist Rana Ayyub was briefly detained at the Mumbai airport and restricted from traveling to London as the state continues to target her for her work, gender, religion and staunch criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rightwing government. Continue reading for details.
Palestine: Palestinian journalist Bushra Al-Taweel was jailed by Israeli forces for the fourth time in recent years. The journalist was arrested at a checkpoint in Nablus on March 22 and is to be imprisoned for three months without a trial or a charge. Full coverage of the incident can be found here.
Russia: Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at state-run Channel One television, was detained overnight and fined for making an anti-war video and staging a demonstration on-air. Read more.
Russia: At least seven journalists, including three women, working with independent news portal Sota.Vision were detained. Two of them were sentenced to multiple days in prison and others were fined and harrassed. Journalist Elena Izotova has been released since. Further details available here.
Uganda: Journalists Faridah Bikobere, Lillian Luwedde and seven of their colleagues at Alternative Digitalk TV, were arrested. Click here to learn the details of the incident.
11 Women Journalists Faced Legal Harassment
China: Chinese-born Australian journalist Cheng Lei’s closed-door national security trial began in Beijing on March 31 and concluded hours later with the court reserving verdict. Foreign press and diplomats, including the Australian envoy in Beijing were denied entry to the hearing. Read the details.
India: Yet another First Information Report (FIR) was registered against journalist Rana Ayyub for her stance against state violence underway in India. Read the complete story.
Turkey: An investigation was conducted against Jinnews reporter Rabia Önver for sharing news articles on social media. Find out more.
Turkey: Journalist Sultan Eylem Keleş was handed a suspended prison term on March 10 after a court in İzmir convicted her of “insulting the president” in absentia. Continue reading.
Turkey: After remaining 49 days in prison, journalist Sedef Kabaş was granted a release order and convicted of “insulting” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. She was handed a suspended prison term of two years and four months. Find our complete coverage here.
Turkey: The 17th hearing of the case against Etkin News Agency (ETHA) editor Semiha Şahin and reporter Pınar Gayip was held on March 24 in İstanbul. The journalists stand trial on charges of "being affiliated with a terrorist organization" and "spreading propaganda" in a case which seeks to criminalize their journalistic coverage. Details available here.
Turkey: The first hearing of Beritan Canözer’s trial on charges of affiliation with a terror organization was held in the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court. Learn more.
Turkey: Journalists Hazal Ocak, İpek Özbey and Olcay Büyüktaş continue to stand trial on charges of “disclosing identity of an anti-terrorism official on duty” and “violating privacy of personal life” after reporting on illegal construction near Erdogan’s top press aide’s house in 2020. Follow the case.
Two Women Journalists Incurred Physical Injuries After Being Attacked In The Field
Brazil: TV reporter Laura França and other journalists were attacked with explosive devices while reporting on a police demonstration in Belo Horizonte. Laura suffered temporary hearing loss after being exposed to the loud noise of explosive devices. Find out more.
Peru: Photographer for the Lima-based news magazine Caretas, Rina Solórzano was assaulted by supporters of President Pedro Castillo outside Peru’s Congress building. The journalist was reporting on the pro and anti-government demonstration taking place at the site. Find detailed coverage here.
Two Women Journalist Were Physically Assaulted But Incurred No Injuries
Ukraine: Majda Slamova and Victoria Roschina narrowly escaped Russian gunfire in separate instances while covering the ongoing war. Continue reading.
One Woman Journalist Reported Blatant Sexism
Turkey: On International Women’s Day, reporter Izel Sezer was prevented from filming the Women’s March by her male colleagues and the police. Read more.
One Woman Journalist Faced Harm To Property
Albania: Investigative journalist Antela Lika and her cameraman were threatened and attacked by employees of a farm owner while reporting on mishandling of bird flu affecting poultry. The perpetrators threatened their lives and broke their equipment. More details available here.
One Woman Journalist Faced Insult To Person
Pakistan: Television reporter for Geo News Urdu Maryam Nawaz Khan was harassed by participants of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s political rally in the capital Islamabad on March 27, ahead of a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan. Click here for further details.
One Woman Journalist Faced Online Bullying
United States: Former Republican strategist Steve Schmidt took to Twitter on March 24 to share private correspondence between himself and New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman. The shared emails and messages revealed that Schmidt had been harassing Maggie both in public and private. Learn more.
If you would like to request more insight into our findings, or would like to suggest an addition to our work reach out to us at data@womeninjournalism.org. For media inquiries reach out to us at press@womeninjournalism.org.