By Naa Shormei Odonkor
Kumasi, Oct 07, GNA – Dr Abeer Saady, a Physical Safety Trainer and a former war reporter, has stressed the need for media organizations to offer an open-door support to journalists, particularly, females who are often harassed in the course of their work.
This, she said was crucial to ensure that journalists were psychologically sound and safe to perform their required duties on and off the field.
Dr Saady told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on how journalists’ especially female reporters could manage or curb the issue that, harassment was an invasion of boundaries.
She maintained that an open-door support or policy allowed managers and senior leadership to welcome concerns and suggestions from subordinates without fear of intimidations.
Again, media organizations could establish a counselling and legal aid desks, where journalists could be aided to overcome their fears and troubles confidentially.
Apart from the open-door support, Dr Saady encouraged journalists, particularly females, to set boundaries and be firm with their decisions to prevent been harassed.
She said journalist could be easily harassed or intimidated when boundaries were loose or not set.
Dr Saady observed that, journalists especially females, experienced various forms of harassment such as sexual, physical and verbal at the office, on the field and online.
She mentioned some of the early signs of harassment as casual jokes or comments on appearances, and persistent unwanted attention.
Others include isolation from field assignments or editorial opportunities, and online threats that are dismissed as ‘not serious.’
Some female journalists in Ghana who also spoke to the GNA, expressed how they had been sexually and verbally harassed by their male colleagues.
One of them, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she had lost her self-worth and confidence as she was often harassed by her male colleagues due to her physical features.
This, she noted was affecting her work and her relationship with the opposite sex.
Most women and a few men in a way or the other, have experienced or are experiencing harassment at their workplaces, homes and other areas and are being silent on it for the fear of stigmatisation and loss of jobs.
It is therefore important to implement policies or support systems to manage or curb the issues to promote a healthy environment for everyone to thrive.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/George-Ramsey Benamba