Pakistan’s women journalists battle harassment and online abuse

Women journalists in Pakistan are facing growing threats that extend beyond newsrooms and field reporting. Workplace harassment, intimidation and physical misconduct are increasingly being accompanied by online abuse, trolling, blackmail, character assassination and threats on social media.

The unauthorised use of private photographs, manipulated images, fake videos and artificial intelligence-generated content has further complicated the security challenges faced by women in journalism.

Personal accounts from women journalists, along with national and international research, show that these threats are affecting their reporting, online expression and professional activities. Despite the existence of laws and institutional mechanisms, there is still no comprehensive national database specifically documenting cases involving women journalists.

Journalist Laiba Zainab said women in the profession face discrimination and harassment in newsrooms, during field assignments and on social media.

She said newly recruited women journalists are sometimes discouraged from covering crime, politics and other major beats and are instead pushed towards stories considered more suitable for women. She also recalled being asked personal questions about marriage, future marriage plans and pregnancy during job interviews.

Zainab said she was once followed by motorcyclists in Lahore who stared at her and made obscene gestures. On another occasion, a male colleague sat in her car and behaved inappropriately by pinching her cheek. She said repeated incidents of this nature eventually led her to resign from a private television channel.

Lahore-based reporter Fakhra Khalil also described harassment during field assignments. She said women reporters are often subjected to inappropriate stares and comments about their clothes and appearance, including by male journalists.

Freelance journalist Saba Chaudhry from Narowal said she faced pressure while working on a sensitive investigative story. She alleged that a senior reporter associated with a major television channel warned her against covering the story and threatened to prevent her from working in the district if she visited the area. She nevertheless travelled to the affected area, completed her reporting and published the story.

Women journalists also report discriminatory treatment inside newsrooms.

Television reporter Ammara Khan said she was previously told by senior staff that she could not handle major assignments such as protests and public gatherings. She recalled being sent to obtain footage of people bathing sacrificial animals in a canal during extreme heat. After failing to secure the required footage, she said she was accused of refusing to work.

She raised the matter with the news director but said the situation subsequently became more difficult, eventually forcing her to leave the organisation.

Senior journalist Kamal Siddiqi said workplace harassment was not limited to sexual misconduct. Threatening employees, constantly shouting at them, bullying them or creating an environment in which they feel intimidated and unsafe can also constitute harassment.

Journalist Sadia Mazhar said she faced pressure and threats while seeking information through right-to-information mechanisms.

She recalled that in 2023, a club administration in Sahiwal sought action against her after she requested information. She also received messages from different numbers after obtaining information from the Lahore Excise Office. In 2024, she faced abusive messages and sustained trolling on social media following a post about political issues.

Social media has expanded opportunities for women journalists to reach audiences, but it has also become a major source of harassment, trolling and threats.

Zainab said she faced severe criticism, character assassination and threats of rape and death after reporting on the rape of a minor girl and posting a video related to the Aurat March. Her photographs were also manipulated and used in offensive memes.

She said she filed two complaints with the Federal Investigation Agency over online harassment but claimed that the response was ineffective.

Another television reporter, Dua Mirza, said she faced intense criticism on social media while reporting on the deaths of newborn babies during a fire at PIMS Hospital in Islamabad. Some social media users accused the media of being “paid” and criticised her clothing, while also accusing reporters of spreading misinformation to increase their followers.

Senior multimedia journalist Saman Khan said there is no comprehensive official or private database documenting online harassment and trolling of women journalists in Pakistan.

The Digital Rights Foundation has received complaints from women journalists involving online stalking, blackmail, direct threats, fake accounts, unauthorised disclosure of personal information and hacking of social media accounts.

Cases involving AI-generated content and the unauthorised distribution of private photographs and videos have also emerged.

According to the foundation’s data, it received 23 complaints from women journalists concerning digital security and online harassment in 2023. The number rose to 65 in 2024 before falling to 47 in 2025. A further 26 complaints were received in 2026 so far, taking the four-year total to 161.

The organisation assists affected journalists in preserving evidence, securing their accounts, reporting abusive content to social media platforms and approaching the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency.

A 2024 assessment of 15 news organisations in Islamabad found that only two had dedicated inquiry committees for investigating harassment complaints, despite such committees being required by law.

The assessment covered six television channels, four newspapers, three news agencies and two news websites. Women accounted for an average of only 11 per cent of journalists in these organisations, while most had no women journalists in leadership positions. Around 75 per cent of the organisations were found to have gender-insensitive policies.

The Pakistan Press Foundation recorded at least 162 verified attacks or incidents restricting the freedom of journalists and media professionals across the country in 2024. These included 14 cases of online harassment and five threats.

Its 2026 review documented at least 233 incidents involving violence, threats, legal action and other restrictions against journalists and media professionals between January 2025 and April 2026. The report also highlighted an increase in attacks involving AI-generated material and character assassination targeting women journalists.

A global study published in 2022 with support from UNESCO examined the experiences of 714 women journalists. It found that 73 per cent had experienced online violence, while 38 per cent had limited their professional or online presence. Eleven per cent had taken time off work, four per cent had left their jobs and two per cent had quit journalism altogether.

Another study involving 351 women journalists in 2025 found that 25 per cent experienced anxiety or depression because of online violence, while 13 per cent reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. About 45 per cent reported self-censorship on social media and 22 per cent reported self-censorship at work.

The study also found that nine per cent of women journalists had their private photographs shared without consent, while five per cent were targeted through deepfake or manipulated photographs and videos.

Pakistan has a legal framework to protect employees from workplace harassment. Under the 2010 law, organisations are required to establish a three-member inquiry committee, with at least one woman member.

The relevant authorities are also required to appoint competent officials, display a code of conduct against harassment, protect complainants from retaliation and maintain confidentiality during proceedings.

During 2024-25, the Federal Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment received 1,119 complaints and decided 1,047 cases. The number of complaints increased by 375 per cent compared with the previous year. However, the figures do not separately identify cases involving media organisations or women journalists.

Official data presented in the National Assembly showed that cybercrime complaints also increased in recent years. A total of 134,710 complaints were registered in 2023, followed by 161,828 in 2024 and 157,465 in 2025. Another 77,023 complaints had been registered in 2026 so far.

However, women journalists, anchors and media workers are not separately identified in the available cybercrime statistics.

The Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act 2021 provides a legal framework for the safety of journalists and media professionals. However, there is still no publicly available comprehensive data specifically tracking harassment complaints involving women journalists and the action taken on those complaints.

Former human resources head at major television networks Saqib Dogar said every media organisation should have a clear and effective anti-harassment policy.

He said such policies should define different forms of harassment, establish a clear complaint mechanism, ensure impartial investigations and protect the confidentiality and safety of complainants. He stressed that implementation was more important than merely having a policy on paper.

Kamal Siddiqi said harassment inquiry committees should remain independent of administrative structures to ensure complaints are investigated impartially.

President of the National Women Journalists Forum Farzana Chaudhry called for stronger safety mechanisms and internal accountability in newsrooms. She said complaints should be documented according to gender, profession, media organisation, nature of the complaint, investigation, FIR, arrest, challan, verdict and punishment.

Lahore Press Club General Secretary Afzal Talib said women journalists facing online attacks need access to digital security, legal assistance and systems for preserving evidence. He called for state institutions to maintain separate records of complaints filed by women journalists, investigations conducted, cases registered and outcomes achieved.

Saman Khan said when a woman journalist limits her online presence or avoids reporting on certain subjects because of fear of harassment, threats or character assassination, the consequences go beyond the individual journalist. It also affects the free flow of information and the public’s right to know.

Farzana Chaudhry said the real test of women’s safety in journalism is not simply the existence of laws and institutions. Their effectiveness depends on proper implementation, timely resolution of complaints, protection for affected journalists and the availability of reliable data.