TAMANI AL-SARWI

Baghdad_Iraqi women journalists face intertwined challenges that limit their ability to practice journalism freely and safely, ranging from social and family pressures, through legal and political restrictions, to threats, bullying, and defamation via social media platforms.

Despite the existence of laws and mechanisms supposed to provide protection, the persistence of some unresolved cases and weak trust in law enforcement agencies raise questions about the extent to which Iraqi women journalists can practice their profession without fear or pressure.

Professional Responsibility and Societal Pressures

Journalist Rana Khalid believes that women journalists in Iraq face multiple burdens, including social, legal, and political pressures, in addition to family responsibilities, making journalistic work a double burden on them.

She points out that many women journalists have moved away from political and legal fields and turned toward social, cultural, and literary journalism, due to the time, effort, and greater ability to face pressures required by political coverage, especially amid volatile conditions.

She affirms that freedom of expression for women journalists in Iraq is still not absolute, noting that defamation, bullying, and damage to a journalist's reputation can generate fear in her, pushing her to withdraw or even leave the profession.

She explained that legal protection for women journalists exists but is insufficient, pointing to the persistence of unresolved cases, along with the spread of rumors via social media, which makes it more difficult to ascertain the truth of what women journalists face.

"Breaking the Silence"

Regarding the protection women journalists receive, journalist Widad Ibrahim spoke about her experience since 2020 within the "Breaking the Silence" project launched by UNESCO in cooperation with the Ministries of Justice and Interior.

She explains that the project allowed her to participate in seminars and meetings with legal specialists to learn about the laws and regulations governing women journalists' work, affirming that a journalist's freedom in the street must be exercised within a legal framework that preserves her rights and respects laws and societal customs.

She points out that the project also addressed the issue of impunity, particularly in cases of threats against women journalists, through a dedicated platform for documenting and following up on threats, instead of the journalist having to go directly to police stations. She noted that a survey conducted among women journalists showed weak trust in police stations when facing threats, prompting the adoption of a safer mechanism for documenting and following up cases.

She affirms that protecting women journalists and prosecuting those responsible for threatening them are essential parts of ensuring press freedom, noting that the platform includes more than 180 women journalists and provides a mechanism for communication and follow‑up if any journalist is threatened.

The situation of women journalists in Iraq raises recurring questions about the limits of freedom of expression, the effectiveness of legal protection, and the ability of relevant institutions to deal with the threats and violations that women journalists may face while practicing their work. Between social and professional pressures and the risks of electronic and field threats, the protection of women journalists and accountability of perpetrators remains one of the most important conditions for ensuring freer and safer journalism.