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LETTER | Kuala Lumpur-based media movement Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) and Jakarta-based Aliansi Jurnalis Independen (AJI) note with serious concern allegations of sexual harassment by elected government officials against female journalists in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

According to a report issued by the Asian Correspondent, eight female journalists from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines have been victimised by sexual harassment while doing their jobs as professional journalists.

The report quoted two Malaysian female journalists and an Indonesian female journalist, all three who shared similar experiences of unwanted sexual advances that ranged from text messages, physical contact and seemingly innocent dinner invitations.

More worryingly also was the fact that one of the journalists said that reporting the incident to her editor only resulted in being told to 'capitalise' on the situation in order to get a bigger scoop.

Recognising that it is a common problem in these countries and across the region, we would like to urge concerned parties to condemn and reject any form of sexual harassment against all journalists or in these particular cases, against female journalists.

The problem has been ignored for a long time as it is not considered an important issue and has been normalised as part of daily interactions between journalists and their news sources.

Geramm and AJI believe that the voices of a few women journalists who are brave enough to share their stories means the time has come for media houses to respond by setting an example on gender equality and respect.

The blurred line of what constitutes sexual harassment by a source should be clearly drawn and there should be appropriate channels for such matters to be addressed.

One of the suggestions put forward by various journalists is education on what constitutes sexual harassment so journalists knows their rights and what they could and should do when faced with such situations.

In addition, clear and just conduct in forms of law should be looked upon by the powers-that-be as sexual harassment especially against women is widespread in the region.

On that note, we demand all news sources, regardless of their status, to show respect towards journalists on duty.

As organisations fighting for press freedom and the rights of all media practitioners, Geramm and AJI are united in our stand that the issue of sexual harassment should be addressed in a holistic manner.

While we acknowledge the importance for journalists to build relationships and communication with politicians, such interactions must also be based on the principle of mutual respect.

There should be no excuses to allow such behavior in the course of pursuing a story.


The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

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