Tushar Singh

                  SHOULD WOMEN JOURNALISTS VISIT CONFLICT ZONE AREAS ?

I would like to begin by saying that the sole definition of a journalist is someone who collects information and hard hitting facts/ evidence and converts into something that catches the media’s attention. There is no law that states that only males are meant to be journalists and females aren’t.In today’s society women aren’t given a fair chance to work and follow their passions because there is always the thing of safety or family holding them back. 

Wherever a woman goes in any part of the world she is always under the threat of being physically assaulted , her personal belongings being destroyed (like her home) and it even goes to the extent that her family will also be threatened.

Though I would like to begin further my argument by saying that a woman especially a journalist knows what she is getting herself into. They get the most amount of happiness when they reach a point in which they can say that they have gone through a lot to get that evidence to create the best possible story they can in their power. Just because the men of that conflicted city/country feel threatened by a woman, does that mean she has to give up on her passion? No, it doesn’t.

Places like Afghanistan and Pakistan make it extremely difficult for a woman to do her job without making her afraid to leave her own home. I am not a chauvinist but I am sensitive to the treatment of women. I believe that it is her right to pursue her dreams all the while being safe and taking care of her emotional state of mind. Yes, there will be scenarios where she will have no choice but to venture out on her own.But also expose herself to groups of meaning whi are willing to assault or protect themselves. Who says she has to be alone? What about self defense and making smarter decisions?

Take a woman like Farida Nekzad it’s been 8 years since she has set up her news agency in Kabul and has been highly affected by it. She has been threatened with acid attacks, threatening phone calls and emails.The last resort for them was to blow up her apartment, but that didn’t stop her from following her passion.

When she returned to her home in 2001, the conditions of society upset her and she had this to say : “I wanted to give a voice to the poor and exploited Afghani women. There was no media outlet through which her plight could be projected therefore ,I along with my friends, set up an independent news agency,” she recalls.

I’m not saying that everyone should be rebellious and go with this cause, but I am saying that women journalist should follow their dreams and learn to protect themselves from the harsh realities.

Things like self defense and doing research in groups is slightly safe , though not from acid attacks. There is only so much you can do. It is up to these women to decide whether they want to pursue their dreams and take risks or they want to choose new paths.

I asked a woman, what would she do if she were to choose a path such as this and why ?. My friend replied saying : That, “Im passionate about it and it risky there’s no feeling that would beat the negatives and finally reach you’re goal. Its not about the money but rather the sense of fulfillment you get when you achieve the difficult task”.

I am looking at these situations from two points of view male and female perspectives. I fully agree to the fact that it’s dangerous, but male journalists would also face a lot of problems. 

The international Media Support states this –

Three female journalists have been killed in the past seven years in Afghanistan and dozens have been intimidated to stop working. For both Shakila Ibrahimkhel and Shabana, the non-political organisation Afghan Journalists Safety Comittee (AJSC)based in Kabul has been a place where they can turn for emergency assistance when faced with serious threats or other security-related issues. The IMS-supported Committee also provides conflict sensitive journal training to improve the journalists’ ability to cover the country’s on-going conflict in a much more responsible and neutral manner.

While female representation in Afghan media remains low, women such as Shakila Ibrahimkhel and Shabana who brave hardship to instigate change through journalism, are showing the way for other women of their generation.

I feel that even though this is one of the hardest jobs for a woman to take up , she shouldn’t give up and thus pursue what she believes in . If they feel uncomfortable, they do not need to go with it . There is always a choice and a way to handle things . As mentioned above, it depends on how smartly a woman does it .