Joint Statement: Together Against Digital Abuse
Date: September 8, 2020
Vile and vicious attacks on women journalists by those affiliated with the government, political parties, their supporters and social media wings, are increasingly impacting our work, mental wellbeing and security. These attacks include but are not restricted to gender-based and sexualized abuse, discrediting, targeting and persecution. We endorse what our fellow colleagues have put on record on 12/08/2020, and widen the scope to reflect the magnitude and degree of trauma being experienced by women in media. The kind of trolling and unfettered vulgarity being experienced subverts every norm of decency with no law enforcement agency, government or any political party taking notice or action of what is clearly transgressing all limits of decency and subverting every ethical standard.
The target of these attacks are women in media, who are often targeted for reporting on issues that are critical of any political party. This may include a journalist differing from the government or a political party’s position on any given issue. A journalist’s criticism of any given policy of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) or of political parties including Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), religious parties and accounts affiliating themselves with state institutions, may also unleash a barrage of abuse. This is almost always met with indifference and in some cases even encouragement from party leadership which further emboldens trolls and abusers.
Unfounded accusations by government officials and politicians from all parties are hurled at journalists for ‘peddling fake news’, ‘serving political agendas’ and ‘being on the payroll’ of one political party or the other. Such accusations then trigger abusive campaigns targeting journalists. In some instances, our pictures and videos are also used and our social media timelines are then barraged with gender-based slurs, threats of sexual and physical violence. So vicious is the campaign against women that even the women/female members of our male colleagues’ families are not spared. Their photographs and videos are doctored, distorted and leaked on social media.
In this context, we demand that we be told what the official mandate of the social media cells of the federal and provincial governments operating on tax-payers money is. Often, it seems like the mandate of these social media cells is to discredit journalists and analysts, without any evidence. We also demand that all other political parties and institutions ensure verifiable transparency regarding the mandate and operations of their respective social media wings. The Election Commission of Pakistan should demand all political parties to submit detailed workings of their social media cells.
These sustained attacks undermine public trust in journalism and go against the basic tenets of democracy. We women journalists now often find it difficult to remain active and engage freely on digital platforms. Out of fear of being hounded and harassed; and our dignity violated through vile abuse, many of us self-censor. Hence, we refrain from sharing information, giving opinion or actively engaging online. We are being prevented from exercising our right to free speech and fully 2 participating in public discourse. Clearly when we self-censor, the public’s rights under Article 19- A are violated as they are prevented from receiving information. The most worrisome and totally unacceptable fact is that when we are under attack, we do not enjoy the protection of the law as guaranteed under Article 4.
We call upon the government and all political parties to:
Immediately draw up and adopt a code of conduct for social media teams of political parties, public bodies and other public/state institutions.
Investigate within to identify networks which have been prominently engaged in launching and running coordinated attacks, hashtag campaigns and abusive campaigns against women in the media. We also call upon Election Commission of Pakistan to direct all political parties to have declared and transparent social media setups under the Right to Access to Information Act, 2017.
Initiate investigation and take action against those officials for whom there is evidence available that they are directly or indirectly engaged in discrediting and harassing women in the media.
Whenever a journalist lodges a complaint with the Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) or the police regarding intimidation, threats and other forms of digital abuse, the case(s) should be processed fairly and efficiently, without any pressure to withdraw or an environment of victim-blaming.
The Cyber Crime Wing at the FIA must set up dedicated desks to facilitate registration of cases of digital violence against women. Given the fact that digital violence against women has translated to real life and physical violence in the past, the desk should have emergency response mechanisms to facilitate prompt investigations. Every official dealing with cases of digital violence against women must be given comprehensive gender sensitivity trainings.
The Journalist Protection Bill should be cognizant of the digital threats and violence against journalists and facilitate effective investigations of digital crimes against journalists. All stakeholders and those involved (as mentioned in para 2) should be made to adhere to a culture of no tolerance to digital abuse.
Finally, we urge the government not to use this statement as an excuse to introduce further regulations and curbs for social media. We believe that the PTI, as the ruling party holds primary responsibility to set the tone for progressive, positive and inclusive political discourse and should lead by example.
We call upon the Senate and National Assembly’s standing committees on human rights to take notice and ensure compliance by all political parties. Only then can journalists continue to report and disseminate information in a non-threatening environment where neither our work nor our emotional, mental and physical wellbeing and security are compromised.
Signatories
Aalia Shah, DW
Afia Salam, Freelance
Afshan Qureshi, Daily Jinan
Ailia Zahra, Naya Daur
Aleena Farooq Sheikh, Geo News
Alia Chughtai, Journalist
Alia Jawad, Geo Sports
Amber Rahim Shamsi
Ambreen Fatima, Nawa e Waqt
Amel Ghani, Media Matters for Democracy
Aneela Ashraf, Freelance
Aneela Khan, Independent
Aneela Mehmood, Journalist
Aniqa Nisar, Capital TV
Annam Lodhi, Freelancer
Asifa Idrees, Freelance
Asiya Ansar, BBC Urdu
Asma Ali Zain, Arab News
Asma Shirazi, Aaj News
Ayesha Ehtisham, Neo
Ayesha Shoaib, Neo
Batul Rajput, Freelancer
Beenish Jawed, Online Journalist
Beenish Saleem, Neo News
Dilrukshi Handunnetti, Journalist
Diya Rehman, Radio Pakistan
Fahmidah Yosafi, Rava.pk
Faiza Shah, Dawn Farah Iqrar, Samaa News
Farah Sadia, ATV/Public News
Farhat Fatima, APP Islamabad
Farhat Rabbani, BBC
Farzana Ali, Aaj TV
Fatima Ali, Independent Urdu
Fatima Nazish, Hum News
Fatima Saleem, Geo News
Fauzia Khan, NNI
Fereeha Idress, AbbTak News
Gharidah Farooqi, News One
Ghazala Naureen, AbbTak
Hamna Malik, Voice of Balochistan
Hija Kamran, Digital Rights Monitor
Huda Ikram, BBC Urdu
Huma Amir Shah, Geo News
Iffat Rizvi, Independent & DW
Imrana Komal, Freelance
Irfana Yasser, BBC Urdu
Irum Zaeem, Samaa TV
Iqra Haris, 24 News
Javeria Siddique, TRT
Kiran Nazish, CFWIJ
Laiba Zainab, Sujag
Lubna Jerar Naqvi, KUJ
Madiha Abid Ali, Dunya News
Madiha Naqvi, ARY News
Maleeha Hashmi, Freelance
Maria Memon, ARY News
Maria Shirazi, The News Int.
Maria Zulfiqar, HUM News
Meher Bokhari, Dawn News
Mehmal Sarfraz, Geo News
Mehr Tarar, AbbTak
Mehreen Zahra Malik, Arab News
Mishal Fatima, Freelance
Mona Khan, Independent Urdu
Moneeba Iftekhar, APP
Munazza Anwar, BBC
Nabeela Hafiz, VoP
Nabya Shahid, Samaa
Nadia Murtaza, Dawn News
Nadia Naqi, Newsone TV
Nadia Suleman, BBC Urdu
Nadiya Mirza, PTV News
Naheed Akhtar, APP
Naheed Jahangir, Tribal News
Naila Naeem, FM Radio
Najia Ashar, Media Bethak
Nargis Janjua, Daily Jinan
Nasim Zehra, 24 News
Nausheen Yousaf, Geo News
Nazish Zafar, BBC
Neelum Nawab, DIN
Noreen Zahra, Geo News
Paras Jahanzaib
Pernia Khan
Quatrina Hosain, PTV
Raboa Mushtaq, CWIJ
Rabia Shahab, Dawn News
Rameeza Ahmad, Freelancer
Ramsha Jahangir, Dawn
Rani Wahidi, Freelance
Rashida Sial, AbbTak
Reem Khurshid, Dawn
Riffat Shah, Aap News
Sabahat Khan, DW
Sadaf Jabbar, ARY News
Sadaf Khan, Media Matters for Democracy
Sadia Kamal, APP
Saima Sajjad, Geo News
Samia Liaquat, Dawn
Samreen Hameed, Geo News
Sana Asif Dar, BBC
Sana Bucha, Aaj TV
Sana Jamal, Gulf News
Sanovia Chaudhry, Geo News
Sara Atiq, BBC
Sarah Hasan, VOA
Sarah Zafar, Media Matters for Democracy
Seema Tahir, CEO News One
Sehrish Khokar, ARY News
Sehrish Lodhi, PTV
Shafaq Iqbal, Nawa-e-Waqt
Shaista Hakim, Freelance Swat
Shaista Yasmeen, UKS
Shamim Ashraf, Daily Kashmir
Sharmeen Ali, PTV
Shazia Nayyar, Aap News
Shazia Sikendar, Freelance
Shazia Tahir, Freelancer
Shazia, Express TV
Sheema Siddiqui, Geo
Shiffa Yousufzai, HUM News
Shumaila Jaffery, BBC
Sitara Jabeen, TRT World
Sophiya Anjam PTV/FM 91
Sumaira Latif, Geo News
Sumeera Ali, GNN News
Sumeira Khan, Indus News
Syeda Qurat ul Ain Shirazi, Hum News
Tanzeela Mazhar, GTV
Tanzeela Rania, Aaj News
Umaima Ahmed, The News
Uneeba Zamir Shah, Geo News
Urooj Raza Siami, Roze TV
Wajiha, Dawn News
Xari Jaleel, Dawn
Yashfeen Jamal, Qalam-Camera
Zahra Noor Abbas, AbbTak
Zanobia Ilya, Turton GTV
Zanobia, Freelancer
Zaryab Arif, Hum News
Zeynep Gürcan, CFWIJ
Zivile Diminskyte, CWIJ
Zoya Anwar, Freelance
Zoya Rehman, Digital Rights Monitor
In Solidarity
Aajiz Jamali, KUJ
Adil Abbasi, ARY News
Arif Hameed Bhatti, GNN
Arshad Sharif, ARY News
Asad Baig, Media Matters for Democracy
Ehtsham Ameeruddin, Samaa TV
GM Jamali, PFUJ
Habib Akram, Dunya News
Hafiz Tariq, News One
Hamid Mir, Geo News
Hassan Abbas, KUJ
Hassan Abdullah, TRT World
Imran Khan, GNN
Kamran Khan, Dunya News
Kashan Akmal Gill, BBC
Kashif Abbasi, ARY News
Khawar Ghumman, Dunya News
Mazhar Abbas, Geo News
Mohammad Malick, Hum News
Mujeeb ur Rehmam Shami, Dunya
Nasrullah Malik, Neo News
Owais Tauheed, PTV
Raza Azeem, PFUJ
Shahzada Zulfiqar, PFUJ
Shahzad Iqbal, Geo News
Syed Ali Haider, Samaa TV
Syed Imran Shafqat
Zarar Khoro, Dawn News
Supporting Bodies
Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ)
Network of Journalists for Digital Rights
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ)
Women in Media Alliance (WIMA)
The Coalition for Women in Journalism (CWIJ)
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.
