Jordanian journalists target online violence: participants at a December 7 panel discussion in Amman.
Jordan: Female Journalists Seek Digital-Violence Protection at Work
From harassment to cyberstalking, more than half of Jordan’s female journalists have faced digital violence that damages their health and dampens their voices. On Saturday, a Foundation-supported network of journalists launched a petition urging their employers to take steps to protect them.
The force behind this push is the Jordanian Network to Combat Digital Violence Against Female Journalists. Since forming in 2022, the Network has called for stronger protections at all levels of society, including the workplace.
According to network coordinator Rania Sarayreh, Jordan has made real progress over the last four years in creating safer work environments for women. But digital violence too often goes unrecognized and unaddressed. When the network examined the internal policies of 17 Jordanian media institutions, they found none addressing digital violence against female journalists—whether experienced in-house or in the field. That’s why journalists nationwide are joining together with a unified call to action to all their employers.
To keep female journalists safe, the petition urges all Jordanian media institutions to adopt a comprehensive approach that includes:
- internal policies to address incidents of digital violence;
- digital-safety training programs for female journalists;
- mechanisms to monitor violations on social media platforms;
- psychological and legal support for victims of digital violence; and
- coordination with relevant authorities to prosecute attackers.
Rania Sarayreh says she aims to collect 300 signatures from female journalists, to underline the unity of their message. And that message is very much an invitation to collaborate: the network is offering technical support to media institutions in crafting and implementing new policies and programs.
The group launched this petition at a December 7 panel discussion in Amman, Jordan, co-presented by the network and The SecDev Foundation. Our theme: The Importance of Establishing Policies in Media Institutions to Combat Digital Violence Against Female Journalists. The panel featured the Foundation’s Dr. Raed M. Sharif and Etaf Roudan from Jordan’s Community Media Network, alongside Rania Sarayreh.
The network’s remarkable story
For the Foundation, the Jordanian Network to Combat Digital Violence Against Female Journalists has been a remarkable story. Launched in 2022, the network has roots in a Salam@ initiative that convened cohorts of women in several MENA countries to conceive innovative responses to digital violence. This was one of those responses.
Under the leadership of Rania Sarayreh, the network has grown into a vibrant hub for peer support, research and advocacy. They’re now a recognized voice in Jordan. They’ve held national conferences. Their members are shifting the conversation on online GBV through their coverage. Alongside Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Digital Arabia Network, we’re pleased to continue supporting them. And the network is even serving as a key partner for a new Foundation/IDRC project: an “ecosystems” response to digital violence against women in Jordan and Iraq.
