UNESCO discusses the rights of female journalists in Iraq

INA - BAGHDAD

UNESCO discussed on Tuesday, the reality of freedom of expression and the rights of female journalists in Iraq, while stressing the need to activate forms of advocacy for them.

“UNESCO Iraq office held a training and evaluation session within the joint financing project to enhance freedom of expression and the safety of journalists in Baghdad for a group of Iraqi female journalists, with the participation of Women’s Empowerment Department in the Cabinet, the Communications and Information Authority and the Independent High Commission for Human Rights,” said the Director of the Communication and Information Program at UNESCO Iraq, Diaa Al-Saray, to the Iraqi News Agency - INA.

He added, “During the session, the activities that were implemented for this project during the year 2023 were reviewed and the goals that were achieved to support female journalists, and to shed light on the challenges facing this segment of society,” noting that “access to the digital skills of female journalists and artificial intelligence tools that enhance journalistic skills was important among the most prominent demands identified by female journalists to be taken into consideration by UNESCO for its future projects.”

"The challenge represented by judicial and legal prosecutions against female journalists and activists on social media came in second place among the priorities that were mentioned as interference in the accounts of international organizations in Iraq as well as the Iraqi government," he noted.

He added, "Enhancing the freedom of expression of opinion and the safety of female journalists through legislation and regulatory procedures, as well as government procedures, represents an added challenge that must be addressed, according to the female journalists who participated in this activity," pointing out that "among other important topics that were discussed was the topic of information literacy improving, digital literacy and its impact on this professional segment.”

"The UNESCO Iraq office emphasized the necessity of activating patterns of advocacy and defense to stop the repeated attacks, whether online or real, directed against female journalists, which have become a growing source of concern with their increasing rates locally, and most of which achieve the goal of silencing their voices and hindering the ambition to reach social justice," he noted.