Improving media rights through advocacy

Afghan women journalists rejoining the workforce

IMS’ partner the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC) successfully campaigned to increase the number of women journalists in 2023. An additional 94 women journalists were hired nationwide, and 54 of the recruitments were directly linked to AJSC’s lobbying efforts. Political developments in 2021 saw Afghan women and girls’ freedom of movement and access to education and employment severely curbed and 20 years of progress lost.

After August 2021, there was a “radical shake-up of Afghanistan’s media landscape,” with four out of five women journalists no longer working, according to Reporters Without Borders. Hundreds of media outlets were shut down and hundreds of journalists, including women journalists, went into exile. Several private media companies have been wary of hiring women journalists.

“Enhancing the presence and role of women journalists in Afghanistan’s media is a key portion of AJSC’s mission,” the committee said, adding it has woman coordinators in Kabul and the provinces so that woman journalists’ issues and challenges are handled effectively.

There have also been bans on women journalists interviewing men as well as prohibitions on women voicing reports or travelling without male chaperones. In some parts of the country, women journalists are not allowed to work at all. Women journalists still working in Afghanistan say despite the challenges they aren’t giving up.

“Even now, working without making my identity or face known, I aim to make my voice heard louder and I am more determined than ever,” said a woman journalist, whose name is withheld for safety reasons.

Ukraine media legislation

The Ukraine government passed new media laws in late 2022 as part of a push to have a more professional and accountable press and to align with EU press freedom standards. An international training programme funded by Sida and implemented by IMS and other organisations provided a platform for constructive dialogue between media representatives, government and civil society on how to improve media self-regulatory frameworks in Ukraine.

IMS partner Centre of Democracy and Rule of Law (CEDEM) held a series of events and training workshops for Ukrainian and foreign journalists, Ukrainian regulatory bodies, media lawyers and NGOs on the media laws. CEDEM made video explainers to increase public knowledge of the issue which were viewed 500,000 times. CEDEM also produced a special legal guide aimed at journalists that provided vital insights into the legal frameworks of child protection, social media regulations, media law violations, self-regulation and access to public information. The resource helped bolster professional integrity during the challenging time of war. It also helped the public effectively engage with media content and regulation.

Pakistan courts uphold freedom of expression

Pakistan courts handed down some significant judgments in 2023 that upheld freedom of expression and access to information. In March, the High Court in Lahore overturned a colonial-era sedition law, declaring it unconstitutional. Critics said successive governments had used the law to target journalists and political opponents.

The IMS-supported Pakistan Journalists Safety Coalition (PJSC) long campaigned against the sedition law. Its federal chairperson Hamid Mir, a veteran journalist wrongfully charged with sedition in the past, told the Oxford Union in 2022 that Pakistan’s rulers “feel no shame in using this colonial law to deny the human rights of their own countrymen.”

IMS programme manager Adnan Rehmat penned an op-ed calling for the law’s repeal in February 2023. While free speech campaigners hailed the verdict a win, sedition charges were brought in other local jurisdictions in 2023, with a human rights lawyer and ex-lawmaker charged.

To help journalists and content producers who face such legal threats, IMS partner Institute for Research, Advocacy and Development (IRADA) works with a group of pro-bono lawyers called the Journalists Defence Committee and IMS’ journalist safety fund offers legal aid. In October, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of a freedom of information disclosure. IRADA provided legal counsel to the petitioner who was seeking information about the administration of the court.

Self-regulations in Georgia’s media

Media self-regulation in Georgia received a boost in 2023. Radio NOR voluntarily appointed a media ombudsman as part of a commitment to responsible and ethical journalism that builds audience trust. Newspaper Kakhetis Khma also introduced a self-regulatory body to its editorial team with three staff charged with improving ethical standards and accountability. It also trained the staff on ethical journalism and media self-regulation.

IMS’ Investigative Training Programme played a key role in encouraging the two media partners to adopt a self-regulatory framework and international best practices. IMS views media regulation as a fundamental tool for democratic development – and self-regulation the most effective way to achieve media accountability with minimal state interference or censorship. Requiring media to adhere to professional standards lays the groundwork for ethical journalism serving the public interest. Self-regulation includes ethics codes, press councils and public editors.

This article was originally published in the IMS Annual Report 2023.