Pakistan: The CFWIJ endorses resolution moved by lawmaker Sharmila Faruqui demanding safety of women journalists at the Provincial Assembly.
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August 22, 2020, Karachi — Sharmila Faruqui, Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA), winner of the most prestigious national award Sitara-e-Imtiaz, moved a resolution at the Sindh assembly against the online harassment faced by Pakistani women journalists on August 16. She demanded an inquiry into the issue and sought reinstatement of freedom of expression under Article 19 of Pakistan’s constitution. On Monday August 24, she will attempt to get the resolution passed by the Sind Assembly.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism endorses this resolution. “It is a crucial work that we believe can and should be carried out by public representatives of a democratic country,” said our founding director Kiran Nazish. “We appreciate that women in the assembly care about the hurdles and trauma women journalists in Pakistan are going through, and we acknowledge that for women in the assembly and women in politics in the country, including Sharmila Faruqui, are often targeted and trolled in the same way. There is an urgent need for government institution to address this important matter.”
”This is a serious issue and I will take it up as much as I can,” Sharmila told our founder over a call. Sharmila Faruqui herself has gone through years of targeting by the trolls online and offline. “As a woman I have seen the harms it can cause to a woman trying to do her job, as well as their families.”
Sharmila Faruqui’s work to ensure the protection of women journalists and particularly raise concerns over online harassment will shed light on the issue for many others in the government who are unaware of the depth of harm these harassments cause to women journalists. It will also lead to exploring better, workable solutions by the authorities.
On August 16, Sharmila submitted the resolution at Sindh Assembly.
“Resolution moved in the Sindh assembly against harassment faced by female journalists. Demanding inquiry ensuring freedom of expression under art 19,” she wrote in the tweet.
Screengrab of the resolution moved by Sharmila Faruqui
On Monday August 24, Sharmila will attempt to pass the resolution on the assembly’s floor and will also invest her efforts into moving it to the National Assembly through her fellow PPP members in the lower house.
CFWIJ wishes Sharmila good luck with the resolution. We urge other lawmakers to back her efforts and ensure the safety and dignity of women journalists in Pakistan.
We are deeply concerned about the ongoing issues of vicious trolls in Pakistan.
Last year, the CFWIJ sent a delegation - comprised of women journalists and advocates of press freedom - to meet Dr. Shireen Mazari, the Federal Human Rights Minister. During the meeting, the delegation discussed concerns about the safety of women journalists in the country and urged authorities’ involvement to help find solutions. We also shared concerns about the intense online trolling and abuse faced by women journalists.
We proposed the following action items to Dr Shireen Mazari during the meeting:
There needs to be an immediate investigation into the perpetrators behind the online and offline attacks.
The government can help set up a system that tracks down trolls that either participate in fake propaganda against journalists or accuse journalists of fake news or bias. This inherently affects our ability to do our job.
Demonstrate accountability for those carrying out vicious attacks towards women journalists as a priority.
Find methods to tackle the egregious issue of online trolling against women journalists, and press in general, in the country.
The government should register these cases, especially the thousands of online and offline messages trolling our member Asma Shirazi and colleague Hamid Mir under the Cyber Crime Bill.
In 2019, we also took a separate delegation to meet with Kashmala Tariq, Federal Ombudsperson Against Harassment at the Workplace, to discuss various challenges women journalists face inside work environments, newsrooms and in the field. Action items and steps that are needed to increase awareness on harassment were also discussed. Kashmala agreed to collaborate with the CFWIJ to sensitize media organizations through interactive sessions and seminars.
As a result of the meeting, we initially saw some improvement in the situation and trolling particularly targeting women journalists had slowed down. However, the attacks have yet again intensified in recent months, and women journalists once again are being abused, trolled, doxed, and harassed incessantly for their social media activity. Hacking attempts into the social media and email accounts of women journalists have also been observed.
Since the delegation last year we have documented 22 different cases of threats and violence to women journalists in Pakistan, including cases related to online harassment, workplace harassment, threats of violence and intimidation, obstacles within the field, and gender discrimination. We also documented the murder of Lahore-based journalist Urooj Iqbal in November 2019.
This year alone, we have documented at least 13 different cases of threats and violence against women journalists in Pakistan, including cases of online harassment and abuse.
Data documented by CFWIJ
In April, Taimur Khan Jhagra, the finance and health minister of KP government, argued with GEO TV’s Benazir Shah online and questioned her capability as a journalist. Several women journalists were attacked online in the lead up to Aurat March on March 8. In March, several women journalists became a target of extreme trolling and harassment, both offline and online during the lead up to Aurat March (Women’s March). In March, CFWIJ member, senior journalist Marvi Sirmed was verbally attacked during a live talk show for her feminist views. In February this year, journalist Gul Bukhari was intimidated with terrorism charges because of her critical view of state policies. She is also often abused and harassed on social media for her opinions.
Most women journalists in Pakistan are largely attacked due to their gender by conservative and misogynistic individuals. They are openly abused, subjected to malicious online smear campaigns questioning their morality and face rampant harassment - which at times creeps into their physical spaces too. CFWIJ was also a signatory in the recent campaign against online harassment of women journalists #AttacksWontSilenceUs and also documented their meeting with the parliament’s standing committee on human rights.
Nevertheless, we still have sincere trust in the government and members of the assembly to take notice of these attacks and ensure redressal to women journalists who have been subjected to harassment.
CFWIJ’s founding director and journalist Kiran Nazish herself was targeted with physical and death threats during her work in Pakistan. Our member Marvi Sirmed is regularly attacked by trolls and abusers online for her opinions and journalism. This year too, she was targeted in an orchestrated campaign and was also verbally harassed on live television by a local writer, whose behaviour was widely condemned.
The founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was a staunch supporter of press freedom. After being elected as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council in 1910, Jinnah was confronted with the Press Act and criticized its provisions. Even though the Act was passed with majority votes. He remained unfazed with regards to his disapproval.
"The Press Act was most unwelcome measure from its very inception. It has been characterised as a serious menace to the freedom of press in India, but the harsh manner in which it is enforced has roused the strongest opposition and created great discontent,” Jinnah said.
The Constitution of Pakistan also gives its citizens the right to exercise freedom of speech in Article 19:
“Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law n the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defense of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of Court, commission of or incitement to an offence.”
CFWIJ hopes that the issue of online harassment including abuse, hacking, trolling and doxing, among others can be resolved by the authorities, so that journalists in Pakistan can do their job without fearing for their safety.
