South Sudanese female journalists say women are few in media houses and managerial positions because of sexual harassment.
The women made the comments to CRN during a one day experience sharing for female journalists organized by AMDISS with support from Journalists for Human Rights JHR and Global Affairs Canada.
They say some male bosses in organizations, including media houses demand love and sex as a token for employment or promoting ladies to higher positions.
A participant says some women end up refusing job offers after the employer asks her to offer love or sex in return.
Another female journalist says women are seen mostly as inferior to lead.
Some of the participants mention cultural beliefs, lack of motivation, safety and language barrier as some of the factors that reduce the number of female journalists in media houses.
However, several others express concern on how sexual harassment is limiting the performance of women in work places.
‘Sexual harassment is not only in journalism. The boss will say, if you want to get this job, you have to date me or give me your number. If you refuse, I will not accept your documents. It is a challenge facing us as ladies. I don’t want job in exchange for favours. I will just give up and stay home’ one participant states.
‘Some won’t allow a woman to be in a position of trust. They see you as inferior no matter the capability you have. Most men in this country don’t want a woman to lead them’ another adds.
Family pressure was also mentioned as another key factor.
‘Some families think Journalism is a bad profession. Hence your family will pressure you to let it go. For the married women, the husband and kids might disturb you to abandon your dreams. Then it will limit your ability to compete for higher position. For single female journalists, when you want to get married, some men will want you to abandon your profession or call off the relationship’.
Irene Aya is the Media Development Officer for Association for Media Development in South Sudan, or AMDISS. She believes most of the challenges facing women are not reported.
‘Some of the challenges are not reported and perhaps some female journalists do not know the body they can report to in case they are faced with challenges. I think this session is like an eye opener for them’.
CRN Director Mary Ajith encourages female journalists to report such cases to concerned authorities.
‘Please report some of these issues and tomorrow your colleague will not be affected. But if you continue to keep quiet, it will continue like that until the world comes to an end. The same challenges we are facing in South Sudan are the same challenges women are facing in other countries. But because they have gone ahead to report and act, now they are moving ahead’.
Journalists for Human Rights Media Trainer or JHR, Magdalene Joseph encourages women journalists to build confidence in themselves to reach higher heights and achieve their objectives.
She calls on women to be strong and support one another to prove to men that they can work better when given the opportunity.