While it’s the cause of truth-telling that draws many women to careers in media, research by UN Women in Southeast Asia found that women journalists are at greater risk of online harm as a direct result of their civic engagement.
These digital attacks aim to discredit women journalists and to silence them – just as gender inequality across the world makes their voices that much more critical.
“For women journalists, digital harassment is not just trolling – it’s a structural violence designed to push us out of public life,” says Preetha. And as the media landscape shifts to social media, harassment is more easily amplified.
She calls for urgent changes: accountability from tech platforms, institutional safety mechanisms in newsrooms, and solidarity networks to protect dissent.
If media organizations are serious about supporting women, adds Preetha, they must offer “contracts that protect them.” That includes salaries that value their labour, legal and psychological support when they face harassment, and newsroom cultures that do not punish them for being outspoken. They can also empower women in the workplace with flexible scheduling and day care-centres.