BH Journalists: Politicians and Power Holders Among Most Frequent Attackers of Female Journalists

(Patria) - March 8th is a day when we celebrate the courage, solidarity, and perseverance of women worldwide in the fight for women's human rights. For us at the BH Journalists Association, it is also a date when we remind ourselves that female journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina, those who daily defend the public's right to truthful, timely, and objective information, are often the first targets of attacks, threats, discrimination, and gender-based violence.

Female journalists in BiH are daily exposed to various forms of violence: from verbal attacks, through online threats and attempts at professional discreditation, to physical attacks and a pronounced gender component in the motives and manifestation of violence. From the beginning of 2021 to the end of 2025, BH Journalists recorded 39 direct attacks on female journalists, with another 21 attacks directed at groups of male and female journalists. As many as half of these attacks contained elements of gender-based violence. The actual number, however, is significantly higher, as many female journalists do not report attacks due to distrust in institutions and fear of professional stigmatization.

Attacks on female journalists most often manifest through offensive comments about physical appearance, private and family life, sexualized insults, and attempts at professional discreditation solely based on gender. It is particularly concerning that female journalists in our country are most often targets of misogynistic outbursts by politicians and other public officials, as well as individuals connected to the criminal structures they report on.

Every fifth female journalist in BiH has experienced discrimination based on gender within the newsroom where she works. And while female journalists emphasize that in cases of attack, the support of their colleagues and editorial staff is paramount, it is devastating that most media houses still do not have developed internal protocols for responding to threats and gender-based violence. And precisely in the work environment, female journalists face numerous additional challenges. Their labor rights are very often violated, especially in private media, and traditional social norms, family care, pregnancy, and maternity leave significantly affect their professional status.

In order to improve the position and safety of female journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the BH Journalists Association calls on:

• Law enforcement agencies and judicial institutions to consistently prosecute all forms of threats and gender-based violence against female journalists, with urgent action in cases of physical attacks and online threats;
  

• Politicians and public officials to refrain from offensive, sexist, and misogynistic statements and to take responsibility for public discourse that can incite violence against male and female journalists;

• Media houses to adopt clear internal protocols for the protection of female journalists, including mechanisms for reporting attacks, legal and psychological support, and zero tolerance for mobbing and discrimination;

• Employers in the media to ensure full respect for the labor rights of female journalists, including protection against dismissal and discrimination during maternity leave, as well as a clearly defined system for career advancement within newsrooms;

• Professional associations, non-governmental, and international organizations to continue providing legal, security, and educational support to female journalists in BiH, especially in the area of digital security and the fight against online violence.

  March 8th is not just a day for congratulations and flowers. It is a day when we remind ourselves that without safe and free female journalists, there are no free media, and without free media, there is no democratic society. Female journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina prove daily that courage has no gender, but violence, unfortunately, often does. Therefore, it is our collective responsibility to ensure an environment in which every female journalist can work freely, with dignity, and without fear, it was announced from the Steering Board of BH Journalists.