Muted echoes: confronting the global crisis of violence against women and girls, including women journalists
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56217/forum.vol13.95Keywords:
female genital mutilation, red-tagging, doxxing, digital harassment, silencing, women journalists, safety, psychodrama, cultural normsAbstract
Violence against women and girls is one of the most pervasive human-rights violations worldwide. Within this crisis, women journalists face a dual burden—gender-based violence and targeted attacks intended to silence their voices and restrict press freedom. This paper examines that intersection, drawing on case studies from Sierra Leone, Tunisia, Mozambique, the Philippines, the Middle East, Russia, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Latin America, and the United States of America, as well as the widely publicized experience of Nobel laureate Maria Ressa. It situates these narratives within global data on gender-based violence, freedom of expression, and trauma theory, and explores the use of psychodrama, sociodrama, and applied theater to address trauma and foster resilience. Violence against women journalists is shown to be systemic—a strategy to suppress truth and perpetuate patriarchal control. Embodied theater methods offer critical avenues for healing and resistance, turning muted echoes of violence into resounding calls for justice.
References
American Psychiatric Association (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing.
Boal, A. (1979). Theatre of the oppressed. Pluto Press. Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) (2004). Russia: Investigation of poisoning of journalist Anna Politkovskaya urged. CPJ. Retrieved from https://cpj.org/2004/09/russia-investigation-of-poisoning-of-journalist-anno/
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) (2006). CPJ condemns slaying of Russian reporter Anna Politkovskaya. CPJ. Retrieved from https://cpj.org/2006/10/see-cpj-calls-on-putin-to-take-responsibility-for/2006
Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ) (2020a). Philippine journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio detained since February 7, 2020. CPJ. Retrieved from https://cpj.org/2020/04/philippine-journalist-frenchiemae-cumpio-detained/
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) (2020b). Female Journalist Covering Mexican Feminist Protests Face Harsh Police Response. CPJ. Retrieved from https://cpj.org/2020/11/female-journalists-covering-mexican-feminist-protests-face-harsh-police-response/
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) (2020c). Journalist Malalai Maiwand shot dead in Afghanistan. CPJ. Retrieved from https://cpj.org/2020/12/journalist-malalai-maiwand-shot-dead-in-afghanistan/
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) (2020d). Philippine police arrest journalist Lady Ann Salem for alleged weapons possession. CPJ. Retrieved from https://cpj.org/2020/12/philippine-police-arrest-journalist-lady-ann-salem-for-alleged-weapons-possession/
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) (2023). Attacks on the press. Retrieved from https://cpj.org/reports/2023/
Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ) (2024a). CPJ calls on FBI to release timeline for conclusion of Shireen Abu Akleh investigation. CPJ. Retrieved from https://cpj.org/2024/05/cpj-calls-on-fbi-to-release-timeline-for-conclusion-of-shireen-abu-akleh-investigation/
Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ) (2024b). US press freedom under unprecedented pressure ahead of election, CPJ report finds. CPJ. Retrieved from https://cpj.org/2024/10/us-press-freedom-under-unprecedented-pressure-ahead-ofelection-cpj-report-finds/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) (2022). Hold the Line Coalition urges Philippine president to keep Maria Ressa out of jail. CPJ. Retrieved from https://cpj.org/2022/10/hold-the-line-coalition-urges-philippine-president-to-keep-maria-ressa-out-of-jail/
Conde, C. H. (2024). Progress in Philippines’ media murder cases just a start. Human Rights Watch. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/05/07/progress-philippines-media-murder-cases-just-start
Dayton, T. (2019). Soulful Journey of Recovery. Simon and Schuster.
Emunah, R. (1994). Acting for real: Drama therapy process, technique, and performance. Psychology Press.
Feinstein, A. (2012). Journalists under fire: The psychological hazards of covering war. Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved from https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/title/journalists-under-fire
Feinstein, A., Owen, J., & Blair, N. (2002). A hazardous profession: War, journalists, and psychopathology. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159(9). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.159.9.1570
Garcia, A. (2011). Exploring the boundaries between sociodrama and psychodrama. In R. Wiener, D. Adderley & K. Kirk (eds.), Sociodrama in a Changing World (pp. 33-44). Lulu.
Human Rights Watch (2025). World Report 2025: Philippines. Human Rights Watch. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/philippines
International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) (2017). Safer Internet Day- Initiative of Awareness on Digital Harassment and its Prevention (Feb 13, 2025). https://iawrt.org/iawrt-chapter-activity-report/International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) (2020). Journalist members murdered & arrested.
IAWRT. Retrieved from https://iawrt.org/journalist-members-murdered-arrested/
International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) (2021). Top IJNet Articles of 2021. ICFJ. Retrieved from https://www.icfj.org/news/top-ijnet-articles-2021?utm_source=chatgpt.com
International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF). (2020). IWMF demands justice for rappler’s Maria Ressa. IWMF.Retrieved from https://www.iwmf.org/2020/06/iwmf-demands-justice-for-rapplers-maria-ressa/
Keaten, J. (2025). New report shows rise in violence against women journalists and activists linked to digital abuse. The Associated Press. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/un-women-report-rise-violence-online-66c38bb80b79d64be18b477f209c2db0
McSweeney, E. (2023). Israel Defense Forces apologizes for death of Al Jazeera’s Shireen Abu Akleh for first time. CNN. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/11/middleeast/idf-apology-shireen-abu-akleh-intl
Moreno, J. L. (1946). Psychodrama (Vol. 1). Beacon House.
Moreno, J. L. (1953). Who shall survive? Beacon House.
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) (2019). Representative on Freedom of the Media. Safety of journalists: An imperative for free media. OSCE. Retrieved from www.osce.org
PEN America (2021). Hard news: Journalists and the threat of disinformation and political attacks in the U.S. PEN America. Retrieved from https://pen.org
Pendzik, S. (2008). Dramatic resonances: A technique of intervention in drama therapy, supervision, and training. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 35(3), 217-223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2008.02.004
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) (2006a). Anna Politkovskaya shot dead. RSF. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20110104121159/http://en.rsf.org/spip.php?page=recherche&lang=en&recherche=Manjama+Balama-Samba&image.x=38&image.y=11
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) (2006b). Month after murder of Anna Politkovskaya, TV presenters urged to wear “Justice for Anna” badge. RSF. Retrieved from https://rsf.org/en/month-after-murder-anna-politkovskaya-tv-presenters-urged-wear-justice-anna-badge
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) (2020). 2020 World press freedom index: “Entering a decisive decade for journalism, exacerbated by coronavirus”. RSF. Retrieved from https://rsf.org/en/2020-world-press-freedom-index-entering-decisivedecade-journalism-exacerbated-coronavirus
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) (2021). Mass international solidarity campaign launched to support Maria Ressa. RSF. Retrieved from https://rsf.org/en/mass-international-solidarity-campaign-launched-support-maria-ressa
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) (2024). Palestine: Impunity persists two years after the Israeli army’s murder of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. RSF. Retrieved from https://rsf.org/en/palestine-impunity-persists-two-years-after-israeli-army-smurder-al-jazeera-journalist-shireen-abu
Reuters (2009). Reporters stripped by S. Leone circumcision society. Reuters. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/economy/reporters-stripped-by-sleone-circumcision-society-idUSLB771752/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) (2009a). Four women journalists kidnapped, one subjected to public humiliation, by supporters of female genital mutilation. Reporters Without Borders. Retrieved from https://rsf.org/en/four-womenjournalists-kidnapped-one-subjected-public-humiliation-supporters-female-genital
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) (2025). Frenchie Mae Cumpio: investigation into a fabricated case designed to convict a Philippine journalist. Reporters Without Borders. Retrieved from https://rsf.org/en/frenchie-maecumpio-investigation-fabricated-case-designed-convict-philippine-journalist
Smith, K. (2025). Australian reporter hit by nonlethal round during live report from LA immigration protests. AP News. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/immigration-raids-los-angeles-reporter-shot-d771cabeb1d75af0201669ab98b96bd4
Tirado, L. (2020). “I went to photograph the protests over the killing of George Floyd and lost the use of my eye in the process. Being a journalist didn’t protect me.” NBC. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/i-came-cover-aggression-minneapolis-then-i-became-victim-it-ncna1221241
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2023). UNESCO in Brazil shows the scenario of violence against women journalists. UNESCO. Retrieved from https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-brazilshows-scenario-violence-against-women-journalists
United Nations (2021). Women journalists face violence and sexualized attacks - UN expert- #JournalistsToo – Women Journalists Speak Out. United Nations. Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2021/11/women-journalistsface-violence-and-sexualized-attacksun-expert
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2021a). World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development: Global Report. UNESCO. Retrieved from https://www.unesco.org/en/world-media-trends
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2021b) Online violence against women journalists: A global snapshot of incidence and impacts. UNESCO. Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000375136
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2022). Threats that silenced trends in the safety of journalists. UNESCO. Retrieved from https://www.unesco.org/reports/world-media-trends/2021/en/safetyjournalists?utm_source=chatgpt.com
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) & International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) (2020). The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists. ICFJ. Retrieved from https://www.icfj.org/our-work/chilling-global-study-online-violence-against-women-journalists
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) (2020). Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences: Violence against women journalists (A/HRC/44/52). OHCHR. Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2020/07/statement-special-rapporteur-violence-against-women-its-causes-and
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) (2024). Philippines: Special Rapporteur calls for justice for journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio. OHCHR. Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/11/philippines-special-rapporteur-calls-justice-journalist-frenchie-mae-cumpio
United Nations Secretary-General (2021). Report of the Secretary-General on women and peace and security (S/2021/827). United Nations Secretary-General. Retrieved from https://docs.un.org/en/S/2021/827
UN Women (2025a). Facts and Figures: Ending violence against women. UN Women. Retrieved from https://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/facts-and-figures/facts-and-figures-ending-violence-against-women
UN Women (2025b). Tipping Point report on violence against women journalists. UN Women. Retrieved from https://www. unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2025-12/tipping-point-the-chilling-escalation-of-violence-against-women-in-the-publicsphere-in-the-age-of-ai-en.pdf
Uzhvak, P., Dolinina, I., & Nikolaeva, R. (2025). Ghost Detainees. The Story of Viktoriia Roshchyna. Important Stories. Retrieved from https://istories.media/en/stories/2025/04/29/viktoriia-project/
Villarreal, P. V. (2022). Women journalists and newsrooms: progress, challenges, and recommendations to prevent violence and to fight against discrimination. Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. Retrieved from https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/expression/reports/mujeres22-en.pdf
Women Press Freedom (2024). Ecuador: Women Press Freedom Calls for Urgent Probe into Violent Attack on Journalist Thalía Flores in Quito. Women Press Freedom. Retrieved from https://www.womeninjournalism.org/alerts/ecuadorwomen-press-freedom-calls-for-urgent-probe-into-violent-attack-on-journalist-thala-flores-in-quito
World Health Organization (WHO) (2014). Global guideline. Health care for women subjected to intimate partner violence or sexual violence. WHO. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-RHR-14.26
World Health Organization (WHO) (2021). Devastatingly pervasive: 1 in 3 women globally experience violence; Younger women among those most at risk. [Press release]. WHO. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news/item/09-03-2021-devastatingly-pervasive-1-in-3-women-globally-experience-violence
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Sheila Dallas-Katzman
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
