Being a woman journalist in Turkey: Violence, harassment, discrimination

Sarya Toprak

Women are fighting for equality in all areas of life. The media sector is one of these areas. According to TÜİK, women make up 3,013 of the 7,719 press workers employed by newspapers and online news sites. Although complete equality has not been achieved, women are visible in this sector, where female managers can be counted on one hand. Violence and harassment are rampant.

According to the Women Press Freedom report, there was an increase in human rights violations against female journalists in 2024, with the highest number of violations recorded in Turkey. The data reveals the discrimination women face in the media sector. According to the Periodical Publications Statistics recently published by TÜİK, 79.5% of news directors are men, while only 20.5% are women. Of the editors-in-chief, 64.4% are men and 31.6% are women.

ALL MEN

All TV channels are owned by men. Only 26% of senior managers are women. Magazines are the area of the media closest to equality. 35% of owners are women, and 59% of news centre managers are women. On the other hand, women working in the media are also faced with violence and harassment. At least 60% of women report experiencing gender-based discrimination, while 87% say that having children has negatively affected their careers. Furthermore, there is no equal pay for equal work.

A study published last year by the UK-based Press Gazette found that three-quarters of women working in the media have experienced security threats as journalists, and 25% have been subjected to sexual violence or harassment. Half of the participants in the study said they would be less likely to recommend their jobs to young women because of online violence, while one-fifth said they had considered leaving journalism.

Top 5 Violations Against Women Journalists in 2024

- Total Violations: 953

- Arbitrary Access Restrictions: 55

- Detentions: 102

- Physical Assaults: 128

- Threats: 134

- Harassment: 156

Source: WPF

The highest number of violations against female journalists occurred in Turkey:

Turkey: 128

Russia: 105

Venezuela: 45

United States: 41

Georgia: 40

Iran: 35

Mexico: 30

Israel: 29

Argentina: 27

Azerbaijan: 25

India: 25

Source: WPF

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Reporter:

Women: 43.9 Men: 56.1

News editor:

Women: 20.5 Men: 79.5

Managing editor:

Women: 31.6 Men: 68.4

Writer:

Women: 41.7 Men: 58.3

Source: TÜİK

TGS GENERAL SECRETARY: BANU TUNA

Women are underrepresented not only in the media but also in the workplace and in management positions in general. Until recently, newspaper editorial offices were like men's clubs. There were unwritten rules set by men for becoming a manager. It was an environment that did not allow women to exist or continue to exist. Small changes for the better began to take place in the early 2000s, but then the AKP took over the media to a large extent.

The government's views on gender, family and the role of women are clear. In such an environment, it is almost impossible for women to rise. The government's perspective permeates the entire society in one way or another.

Independent/critical media, on the other hand, is struggling to survive with very limited resources. Work is being done with very small teams. The unemployment rate in the media is very high. This also holds women back. The increase in female unemployment during economic crises is a common problem.

When a woman is up for promotion, she may be asked without hesitation whether she plans to have children. The possibility of having children is an obstacle for young women. Children are still and only the responsibility of the mother.

WE ARE OUTSIDE THE CHAIN

Look at the mastheads; women can only become editors/publishing managers in areas such as weekend supplements, side publications, magazines, and culture and arts in newspapers. This is because general publishing managers do not come from these areas. Traditionally, there is a lineage of Ankara correspondents, political and economic editors. Women are excluded from this lineage. At this point, if professional organisations and unions are going to say anything, they should first pay attention to the number of female managers in their own structures. What you say and what you do must be consistent so that your words carry weight. For example, three of TGS's five head office managers are women.

As for what we do... In the workplaces where we are organised, we include positive provisions in the contracts we sign, such as the responsibility to ensure gender equality and a policy of equal pay for equal work. At the last general assembly, we made our Women and LGBT+ Commission one of the advisory bodies of the General Headquarters. Of course, these are not sufficient; for example, long-term campaigns could be organised. However, this is a global issue that has not been resolved even in the West. The rise of authoritarian leaders is not making our work any easier. Just when we think we’ve taken a step forward, we find ourselves three steps back.

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Türkiye’de kadın gazeteci olmak: Şiddet, taciz ayrımcılık published in BirGün newspaper on July 18, 2025.