CHALLENGES FACED BY WOMEN IN JOURNALISM: AN ANALYTICAL CASE STUDY OF SITUATION IN PAKISTAN
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Abstract
In the current mass communication era, journalists have gained wide and popular recognition as feeders for fast-changing global happenings. The present paper drawing upon a recent larger study conducted to explore women journalists‟ experiences at the workplace, both within the office and at public spaces where they are deputed on assignments, and its impact on their family lives, narrates the stories in women‟s own voices. To explore the relationship between both, a survey method was adopted and, for this purpose 200 women journalists were selected. Findings confirm that, in addition to visible and invisible challenges that are globally associated with this profession, women journalists in Pakistan confront gender specific challenges. More surprising than the presence of these challenges is women journalists‟ reluctance to openly acknowledge their harassment.
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References
Bennett, E. A. 1898. Journalism for women: A Practical Guide. London and New York: John Lane/Bradley Head.
Brodsky, Carroll M. 1976. The harassed worker. Lexington, Mass: Lexington Books.
Cates, Jo A. & Carey, James W. 1997. “Journalism: A Guide to the Reference Literature (2nd Ed),” USA, Libraries Unlimited, Inc., Pp. 21-55.
Chamberlain, L.J., Crowley, M., Tope, D., and Hodson, R. 2008. “Sexual Harassment in Organizational Context”. Work and Occupations, 35(3): 263-294.
Chambers, Deborah, Linda Steiner, and Carole Fleming. 2005. Women and journalism.
London: Routledge.
Chaudhary, R and Verick S. 2014. “Female Labor force Participation in India and beyond”. ILO (International Labor Organization) Asia- Pacific Working Paper
Series, ILO, New Delhi.
Cleveland, J. N., and Kerst, M. E. 1993. “Sexual Harassment and Perception of Power: An
Under-articulated Relationship”. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 42 (1): 49-66.
Farley, Lin. 1978. Sexual shakedown: the sexual harassment of women on the job. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Female journalists in new media: experiences, challenges and a https://digitalrightsfoundation.pk › drf-released-its-report-on-female-journ.
Franks, Suzanne. 2013. Women and journalism. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Garcia, A. 2008. The Role of Descriptive and Perspective Gender Stereotypes in Performance Expectations of Female Leaders. ASAC, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Gutek, B., and Cohen, A. G. 1987. “Sex Ratios, Sex Role Spillover, and Sex at Work: A
Comparison of Men‟s and Women‟s Experiences”. Human Relations, 40(2): 98-114.
Hershcovis, S.M., and Barling, J. 2010. “Comparing Victim Attributions and Outcomes for
Workplace Aggression and Sexual Harassment”. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(5):
874-887.
Hulin, C. L., Fitzgerald, L. F., and Drasgow, F. 1996. “Organizational Influences on Sexual Harassment”. In M. S. Stockdale (Ed.), Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Perspectives, frontiers, and response Strategies, Women and Work: A Research and Policy Series (pp. 127-149). Thousand Oakas, California: Sage Publication Inc.
Ireton, Cherilyn and Posetti, Julie. 2018. “Journalism, Fake News & Disinformation: A Handbook for Journalism Education and Training”, UNESCO (France), Pp. 45-55.
Kamal, Anila. 1998. “Sexual Harassment at Workplace and Coping Strategies Employed by Women”. Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, 17(1-2): 1-210.
MacKinnon, Catherine M. 1979. Sexual harassment of working women: a case study of sex
discrimination.New Haven: Yale University Press.
Matchen, J., and DeSouza, E. 2000. “Brief Report: The sexual harassment of faculty
members by students”. Sex Roles, 42 (3-4): 295-305.
Pakistan, Survey of Women Media Center, 2009. “Women in Journalism: Problems and Prospects in Pakistan,” pp.1-20.
Downloaded from (http://www.wmcpk.org/wp/wp-
content/uploads/2015/01/women-in-journalism.pdf)
Parveen, R. (2010). Violence against Women in Pakistan, Islamabad: Aurat Foundation.
Poindexter, Paula, Meraz, Sharon and Weiss, Amy. 2008. “Women, Men and News:
Divided and Disconnected in the News Media Landscape”, Routledge Publications (London), Pp. 251-252.
Pryor, J. B. 1995. “The Phenomenology of Sexual Harassment: Why does Sexual Behaviour
Bother People in the Workplace?” Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research,
47(3): 160-167.
Rajeev, Priyanka, M.S. and C. Karthika. 2019. “Work and Life of Women Journalists: A Study with Special Reference to Kerala”. International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (IJITEE), 8(7S2): 1-7.
Rehmat, Adnan. 2017. Life as a Woman Journalist in Pakistan. Threats,Harassment and Rejection. Freedom Network, Pakistan. Life as a Woman Journalist in Pakistan: Threats, Harassment .. www.fnpk.org › life-as-a-woman-journalist-in-pakistan-threats-harassment
Safa and Akter. 2015. “Challenges of Female Journalists in Bangladesh”. Humanities and
Social Sciences, 3 (5): 207-214.
Sasikala, R., Radha, G. and Thangaraja, K. 2013. “A Study on the Problems Faced by Women Journalists”. Asian Review of Social Sciences, 2(1): 32-35.
Shabir, Ghulam, Aqdus, Naveed and Iqbal, Zafar, 2009. “Women Journalism in Pakistan”.
Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences, 29(2): 365-376.
Uggen, C., and Blackstone, A. 2004. “Sexual harassment as a gendered expression of power”. American Sociological Review, 69 (1): 64-91.
Welsh, S. 1999. “Gender and Sexual Harassment”. Annual Review of Sociology, 25:169-189. Willness, C. R., Steel, P., and Lee, K. 2007. “A meta-analysis of the antecedents and
consequences of workplace sexual harassment”. Personal Psychology, 60(1): 127-161.
Willis, Jim 2010. “The Mind of a Journalist: How Reporters view themselves, their world,
and their craft”, SAGE Publications, London, Pp. 44-45. 2015.
Wijedasa, Namini. 2015. „Women journalists fighting the good fight,‟ (no pagination) in
William Cowley, David Page and Kisahli Pinto-Jayawardena (Ed.) Embattled Media:
Democracy, Governance and Reform in Sri Lanka. New Delhi: Sage Publication.
Tanazza Sakha is completing her PhD dissertation at the Centre of Excellence in Women‟s Studies, University of Karachi. She is the first author of this paper.
Dr. Nasreen Aslam Shah, Meritorious Professor in Social Work and Director of the Centre of Excellence in Women‟s Studies, is also Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Karachi. She has published several research papers and project reports. Her book, Changing Role of Women in Pakistan: A Study of Social and Economic Activities of Women Entrepreneurs was published in 2013 by the Scholar‟s Press.
Brodsky, Carroll M. 1976. The harassed worker. Lexington, Mass: Lexington Books.
Cates, Jo A. & Carey, James W. 1997. “Journalism: A Guide to the Reference Literature (2nd Ed),” USA, Libraries Unlimited, Inc., Pp. 21-55.
Chamberlain, L.J., Crowley, M., Tope, D., and Hodson, R. 2008. “Sexual Harassment in Organizational Context”. Work and Occupations, 35(3): 263-294.
Chambers, Deborah, Linda Steiner, and Carole Fleming. 2005. Women and journalism.
London: Routledge.
Chaudhary, R and Verick S. 2014. “Female Labor force Participation in India and beyond”. ILO (International Labor Organization) Asia- Pacific Working Paper
Series, ILO, New Delhi.
Cleveland, J. N., and Kerst, M. E. 1993. “Sexual Harassment and Perception of Power: An
Under-articulated Relationship”. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 42 (1): 49-66.
Farley, Lin. 1978. Sexual shakedown: the sexual harassment of women on the job. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Female journalists in new media: experiences, challenges and a https://digitalrightsfoundation.pk › drf-released-its-report-on-female-journ.
Franks, Suzanne. 2013. Women and journalism. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Garcia, A. 2008. The Role of Descriptive and Perspective Gender Stereotypes in Performance Expectations of Female Leaders. ASAC, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Gutek, B., and Cohen, A. G. 1987. “Sex Ratios, Sex Role Spillover, and Sex at Work: A
Comparison of Men‟s and Women‟s Experiences”. Human Relations, 40(2): 98-114.
Hershcovis, S.M., and Barling, J. 2010. “Comparing Victim Attributions and Outcomes for
Workplace Aggression and Sexual Harassment”. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(5):
874-887.
Hulin, C. L., Fitzgerald, L. F., and Drasgow, F. 1996. “Organizational Influences on Sexual Harassment”. In M. S. Stockdale (Ed.), Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Perspectives, frontiers, and response Strategies, Women and Work: A Research and Policy Series (pp. 127-149). Thousand Oakas, California: Sage Publication Inc.
Ireton, Cherilyn and Posetti, Julie. 2018. “Journalism, Fake News & Disinformation: A Handbook for Journalism Education and Training”, UNESCO (France), Pp. 45-55.
Kamal, Anila. 1998. “Sexual Harassment at Workplace and Coping Strategies Employed by Women”. Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, 17(1-2): 1-210.
MacKinnon, Catherine M. 1979. Sexual harassment of working women: a case study of sex
discrimination.New Haven: Yale University Press.
Matchen, J., and DeSouza, E. 2000. “Brief Report: The sexual harassment of faculty
members by students”. Sex Roles, 42 (3-4): 295-305.
Pakistan, Survey of Women Media Center, 2009. “Women in Journalism: Problems and Prospects in Pakistan,” pp.1-20.
Downloaded from (http://www.wmcpk.org/wp/wp-
content/uploads/2015/01/women-in-journalism.pdf)
Parveen, R. (2010). Violence against Women in Pakistan, Islamabad: Aurat Foundation.
Poindexter, Paula, Meraz, Sharon and Weiss, Amy. 2008. “Women, Men and News:
Divided and Disconnected in the News Media Landscape”, Routledge Publications (London), Pp. 251-252.
Pryor, J. B. 1995. “The Phenomenology of Sexual Harassment: Why does Sexual Behaviour
Bother People in the Workplace?” Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research,
47(3): 160-167.
Rajeev, Priyanka, M.S. and C. Karthika. 2019. “Work and Life of Women Journalists: A Study with Special Reference to Kerala”. International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (IJITEE), 8(7S2): 1-7.
Rehmat, Adnan. 2017. Life as a Woman Journalist in Pakistan. Threats,Harassment and Rejection. Freedom Network, Pakistan. Life as a Woman Journalist in Pakistan: Threats, Harassment .. www.fnpk.org › life-as-a-woman-journalist-in-pakistan-threats-harassment
Safa and Akter. 2015. “Challenges of Female Journalists in Bangladesh”. Humanities and
Social Sciences, 3 (5): 207-214.
Sasikala, R., Radha, G. and Thangaraja, K. 2013. “A Study on the Problems Faced by Women Journalists”. Asian Review of Social Sciences, 2(1): 32-35.
Shabir, Ghulam, Aqdus, Naveed and Iqbal, Zafar, 2009. “Women Journalism in Pakistan”.
Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences, 29(2): 365-376.
Uggen, C., and Blackstone, A. 2004. “Sexual harassment as a gendered expression of power”. American Sociological Review, 69 (1): 64-91.
Welsh, S. 1999. “Gender and Sexual Harassment”. Annual Review of Sociology, 25:169-189. Willness, C. R., Steel, P., and Lee, K. 2007. “A meta-analysis of the antecedents and
consequences of workplace sexual harassment”. Personal Psychology, 60(1): 127-161.
Willis, Jim 2010. “The Mind of a Journalist: How Reporters view themselves, their world,
and their craft”, SAGE Publications, London, Pp. 44-45. 2015.
Wijedasa, Namini. 2015. „Women journalists fighting the good fight,‟ (no pagination) in
William Cowley, David Page and Kisahli Pinto-Jayawardena (Ed.) Embattled Media:
Democracy, Governance and Reform in Sri Lanka. New Delhi: Sage Publication.
Tanazza Sakha is completing her PhD dissertation at the Centre of Excellence in Women‟s Studies, University of Karachi. She is the first author of this paper.
Dr. Nasreen Aslam Shah, Meritorious Professor in Social Work and Director of the Centre of Excellence in Women‟s Studies, is also Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Karachi. She has published several research papers and project reports. Her book, Changing Role of Women in Pakistan: A Study of Social and Economic Activities of Women Entrepreneurs was published in 2013 by the Scholar‟s Press.