As the #16Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence begin, I want to remind us all of the hostile environments that women journalists face daily. They endure violence as frontline defenders of truth.
Years ago, while investigating the construction of the Interoceanic Canal in Nicaragua, I personally received threats. That experience left me feeling vulnerable and unsafe whenever I left my home. Unfortunately, stories like mine are all too common for women journalists worldwide. This is especially true in countries at war, under oppressive regimes, or where state power is used to suppress dissent.
Every day, women journalists confront various forms of gender based-violence, including digital and online intimidation, increased surveillance, death threats, physical assault, imprisonment, exile, and even murder.
Gender-Based Violence Data
According to a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists, 115 journalists and media workers were killed in 2025. Of those, six were women. The deadliest locations were Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territory (4), followed by Yemen, and Ukraine (2).
25 November: Elimination of Gender-Based Violence
On November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls, it is essential to remember that women journalists are dedicated professionals. They provide communities with vital access to information. Regardless of the topics they cover, they face injustice and inequality—structural violence fueled by power and greed.
Today, I raise my voice to honour Fatma Hassona, Areej Shaheen, and Mariam Abu Dagga. I also honour Olena Hramova, Tetyana Kulyk, and Islam Abed. These journalists lost their lives this year simply for doing their job. They were courageous and persistent in delivering accurate information to the public, but their voices were tragically silenced by war. Their legacy is a solemn reminder that ending mass violence is imperative.
As Maria Ressa, 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said in her book How to Stand Up to a Dictator:
Today, an emergent wave of right-wing populist leaders uses social media to question and break down reality, triggering rage and paranoia on a bed of exponential lies. This is how fascism is normalised and where political outrage meets terrorism, the vanguard of mass violence.
Let us continue to raise awareness and support the protection of women journalists who bravely expose truths under immense risk.
References
Committee to Protect Journalists. https://cpj.org/
Women Wheel 
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