Attacks on female journalists go largely unreported, unpunished – MRA

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has raised the alarm over rising attacks on female journalists in Nigeria, warning that such incidents are often neither reported nor punished.

MRA’s Executive Director, Mr. Edetaen Ojo, made the disclosure yesterday in Abuja at a two-day workshop on the safety of female journalists, where he lamented the growing culture of impunity against women in the media.

Ojo noted that female journalists — whether in newsrooms, on the field, or online — face harassment, intimidation, sexual violence, cyberbullying, and other targeted abuses, stressing that these attacks threaten press freedom and deny Nigerians access to diverse and independent information.

“When a woman in journalism is forced out of her profession by abuse, we lose not only her perspective but also the diversity and depth that should define the media landscape,” he said. “Protecting female journalists is not just a human rights or gender equity issue — it is about safeguarding media freedom, democracy, and the public interest.”

He explained that the workshop was convened against the backdrop of an increasingly hostile environment for journalists, particularly women, who encounter gender-specific threats and assaults. He decried the prevalence of physical attacks, unlawful arrests, and online harassment, most of which go unpunished.

“This persistent culture of non-accountability discourages journalists from seeking justice and emboldens attackers,” Ojo said, noting that Nigeria’s legal framework offers mechanisms for redress, but journalists often lack the knowledge or resources to navigate them.

According to him, the forum aims to explore legal and institutional avenues for combating impunity, enhancing journalist safety, and pushing for reforms to protect female reporters.

In her presentation on Gendered Attacks on Female Journalists in Nigeria, Mrs. Blessing Oladunjoye described such abuses as a systemic effort to silence women in the profession. She called on media organisations to strengthen accountability, adopt gender-protection policies, and create effective reporting mechanisms.

Similarly, MRA’s Project Officer, Ms. Ayomide Eweje, urged female journalists to be deliberate about their physical and digital safety, while advocating for insurance cover and newsroom safety measures tailored to their needs.