Tag: Sexual harassment and violence against journalists

The World Press Freedom Index is published annually by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a few days before May 3, World Press Freedom Day. Here is a focus on the Mediterranean region, the area covered by our website.

Despite Syria advancing 36 places following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in the annual ranking by Reporters Without Borders, published on April 30, 2026, women’s presence in the Syrian media landscape remains limited and fraught with complex challenges. From interviews to field reporting, women journalists face various forms of marginalization, shaped by the intersection of gender with geography, religious affiliation, and the very structure of media institutions.

Targeting the press is no longer an exception in Israel’s conduct, but rather a consistent policy. For years, journalists have been targeted both directly and indirectly, not only in Gaza but also in Lebanon.

Amid the bombing and rubble, Palestinian journalists in Gaza continue to do their job: document. But in Gaza, holding up a camera means becoming a target, and reporting the facts can cost journalists their lives.

About your death, which you believed to be inevitable but had chosen to ignore, you once declared loud and clear: “If I die, I want a loud death. I don’t want to be just breaking news, or a number in a group. I want a death the whole world will hear about…”.

On 16 April, the young Palestinian photojournalist was killed by Israeli airstrikes along with her family in Gaza City. Until then, she had tirelessly denounced the atrocities of war, channelling part of her work into the documentary she is starring in, which will be presented at Cannes in May.

Fatima Hassouna—like every journalist silenced by the Israeli army in Gaza—calls on us not to look away. She gave her life to bring us the truth. We will carry her voice forward, echoing her courage and demanding justice for this unspeakable loss.

Fatima Hassouna. Just a few days ago, this name was totally unfamiliar to me. Yet it could have burst onto the front pages, echoed on the steps of the Cannes Film Festival, shone with pride and courage.

What does it mean to be a journalist in Gaza? How do female journalists survive under bombardment, inside tents, and in constant fear? In this article, Abla al-Alami recounts her experience as a woman working on the ground, facing death every time she heads out to cover events.

Ahead of March 8, a day dedicated to the connection between women’s rights, the media, and democracy was organized in the imposing building of the Palais d'Iéna, headquarters of the ESEC in Paris. Entitled “Meetings for Equality,” this stimulating initiative aimed to resist the obscurantism and backlash that threaten gender equality all around the world.