Take sexual harassment seriously

What the report says

A recent global report on sexual harassment in the media has renewed attention on newsroom safety in Uganda. According to The Observer, the survey found that four in 10 Ugandan journalists said they experienced sexual harassment last year, whether verbal, physical or online. That was lower than the 53% figure recorded in the 2020 survey, but the paper argued the level remains unacceptably high.

The report was carried out by WAN-IFRA Women in News, City St George’s University of London and BBC Media Action, and was released in Uganda during a three-day Uganda Editors Guild convention. The article said women were affected more often than men, though it also noted an increase in reported sexual violence or rape among male victims. It added that alleged perpetrators were commonly fellow employees in supervisory positions and news sources.

The Observer said stigma and fear of retaliation likely keep many cases unreported, allowing abuse to continue. It also pointed to Uganda’s legal framework, including the Employment Act and sexual harassment regulations, which require prevention measures and workplace policies in larger organizations. The piece used the report as a warning that harassment in media organizations may reflect wider workplace problems across other sectors, and said stronger institutional enforcement is needed.