Morocco: The Dangers Of Being A Woman Journalist in Morocco; CFWIJ Demands Accountability

Location: Moscow
Date: February 7, 2023

Photo Credit: AFP

The Coalition For Women In Journalism stands in solidarity with all women journalists in Morocco who face consistent discrimination, harassment and threats. The dangers these journalists face are deeply concerning. All those involved in creating such a perilous environment should be held accountable.

Award-winning Moroccan journalist, Magda Ait El Kataoui, for the Moroccan Forum for Young Journalists (FMJJ), with the support of the international media organization Internews conducted a research titled "The Gender Approach in Moroccan Media Institutions and the Protection of Female Journalists". The troubling results of the study conveyed that more than 43.9% of female journalists in Morocco have been subjected to harassment inside the workplace, whether by colleagues, editors-in-chief, or employers. While 82.8% admitted that the harassment was verbal, 17.2% said it was physical.

The study highlights that the vast majority of female journalists refrain from reporting their coworkers, officials, and other harassers. Another issue is the gross disparity in paid wages between male and female journalists. The justification for this misconduct being that "the (male) journalist has more financial responsibilities than the woman journalist.”

The research was based on a questionnaire answered by 66 female journalists, media students and interns representing the press community in Morocco and working in private or public media institutions. Out of the participants, 49 belonged to the 20-35 years old age group, 14 were between 36 and 45 years of age, and 3 belonged to the age group between 46 and 55 years old.

El Kataoui, the author of the study says, “Although women journalists defend the women of society and cover all the problems they experience through their journalistic materials, except when they’re harassed. They are afraid to reveal it, for fear of what they may be called or what harm may befall them.” She adds that the reason for this phenomenon is that “they may be confused by those around them, like their fathers, husbands, or brothers, because, unfortunately, Moroccan society still hasn’t agreed upon accepting women's work in the field of journalism.”

For a female journalist being unable to defend herself against harassment is self-contradictory with herself, especially if she covers human rights issues”. Women journalists opt for silence and avoid revealing that they have been harassed for fear that society will project their stereotypes on them. Only two decades ago, the profession of journalism and media in Morocco was solely monopolized by men. Although women are fairly new to the field, they carved their way in their own right. The number of female journalists today constitutes a small percentage, however, it is a percentage that is growing considerably.

The figures revealed by this study were described as "shocking", especially since they were concerning a number of aspects related to both genders, including "wages and privileges related to travel, training workshops, and special coverage". Almost half of all Moroccan female journalists experience some type of harassment at work. In addition, they suffer from discrimination in positions and wages in comparison to men. 

According to the study, some of the constraints that hinder the work of female journalists are largely due to societal representations and perceptions about journalists in general. These are often biased and untrue. Furthermore, there is a crisis of trust between journalistic work and society. The impact of these perceptions extends to the embodiment of behavior as actions and attitudes, which results in an increase in physical and mental violence inflicted on women journalists.

This work, along with other studies, aims to provide a clearer conception of rights and duties within media institutions. It attempts to provide an untainted "lens of society” by damaging behaviors that are denounced on a daily basis, and reveal the gravity of the situation.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism extends support to women journalists in Morocco. We demand that the responsible authorities take appropriate measures towards the betterment of work conditions and gender equality in the workplace. We call for respect towards and protection of women journalists in Morocco.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.